50 words for a Telling of a Tale
by NoLongerWritingHere
Summary: 50 words spawn 50 rambles of 500 wordsish each. Mostly written about the twins, Draco, Hermione and many others. Complete!
1. Sublime

Fred jogged down the cobbled road until he finally came across the familiar shop, slowing down to a casual stroll before he reached the door, tossing his longish hair back neatly as he entered.

"Someone's in a hurry." Minya grinned at him from the counter, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to the back room. "She's in there."

"Was just passing by." Fred objected, excusing himself past a customer before he ducked into the back room, unable to not smile at the sight of her, looking tousled as she wrestled with a complex spell.

"What do you have for me?" Tararyn looked up and flashed him a warm and sleepy smile before she turned her attention back to her uncompromising work, finally getting the ribbons and cellophane to wrap invitingly around the item for her shop.

"This." Fred replied simply, it was hard to talk to someone while their hair was trailing out of its twist and their robes were hanging casually down one shoulder. She was barefoot, achingly natural, and it, for once, made Fred unable to think of much to say.

"And it's not going to make me stop breathing?" she asked, a teasing smile on her lips as he fished the green and shiny lolly from his pocket.

"You have to tell me what you're allergic to." Fred replied, his voice matching hers. "How was I supposed to know you're allergic to dust?"

"I never thought I'd be expected to eat it, is all." she quirked an eyebrow at him, unwrapping the lolly carefully and inspecting it. She was their willing tester now that they didn't have First Years to test their wares on and they welcomed her happily, Fred a little more so.

"How do you feel?" he asked immediately, catching her arm as she closed her eyes, conflicting emotions passing over her face even though the lolly had just hit her tongue.

"Dizzy...Headachey" she managed to say, letting Fred help her stumble backwards a step or two until she landed on the sofa.

"Bit strong then." Fred murmured back comfortingly, watching her closely as she opened her eyes again and grinned up at him.

"You're cute, you know that?"

Fred winked at her in return, knowing she couldn't really mean it as it could just be the lolly talking, and also knowing they'd have to sell the first few boxes at a reduced rate.

"They're Lime Sublimes." he informed her, "Powerful little alcoholic lollies, should get you drunk in an instant. Just what the kids need with Umbridge as a teacher."

Tararyn laughed at that, she'd heard enough stories about that horrible woman to feel as if she'd also been there. Then she was pulling Fred down to sit beside her, and kissing his hand and then his cheek fondly before resting against his arm and dozing off to sleep. Either the dosage was way too strong, or she was a lightweight. But either way...

"Sublime indeed." Fred murmured softly, toying with her hair gently.


	2. Fantasy

It was all an illusion, a lie almost, since it was...well, not true. It was as far from the truth as it could be, but at that moment he really didn't care, and kept himself in his daydream.

It was Christmas, the family was gathered like they usually did, except now there were two special extras. They were full and real, laughing and he was carving the meat. She was smiling prettily, Christmas ribbons in her hair from gifts earlier opened, leaning over her father as she offered him the honour of opening the first bottle of wine. It had been an early start to the day, him along with his cousins running down to the living room to open their gifts at the crack of dawn, waking those sleeping on the sofa and in the temporary beds by the fire. All of the family were staying together in the same house for Christmas for the first time in years and there simply wasn't enough room for them all, but it meant everyone woke at the same time. Breakfast was freshly baked fruit mince pies and leftovers from the dinner the night before, and now it was Christmas after days and days, all of which had been good enough to be Christmas as well.

This was their first year back, and there were no words at all to properly describe how he had felt when these two had come back into his life, into all their lives. It had been test after test, pain to end the pain. It had felt like forever, but really how could it be forever when this now was only the beginning? Now that they were back, life could really begin, and he couldn't imagine anyway at all that he could be happier, for whatever reason, for whichever action. Umbridge could be his full time teacher or Voldemort could live for all he cared, now that he had these two back.

Neville leaned out of the way slightly as his father served him some meat and he smiled as his father fussed around the plate for the best piece for his son, making Neville glow with happiness.

"Grab the potatoes so you get the crunchy ones before your uncle does." His father whispered, winking at him before he moved on to serve his sister in law some meat, and his mother passed the gravy, knowing that Neville liked the clumps of meat and edges of potato in the gravy best.

"When did the war end, Neville?"

Words almost broke him from his fantasy, but Neville remained stubbornly in it, letting his mother kiss his cheek before he was nudged in the side by Seamus, finally brought back to reality. The professor sighed.

"What, sorry?" Neville asked, his eyes focusing in on the Professor as the class either twittered or awoke themselves from their slumber. History of Magic was a waste of time to most, except for Neville. It was his favourite class after Herbology.


	3. Juxtapose

They heated his hands as he hurried through the chilly streets, two cups of hot tea with dangourfil added for that extra hint of taste to keep you warm on a frosty morning. They were enchanted to stay hot of course, but true warmth that wasn't from spells seemed to have an extra twist on it, that no amount of magic could replace.

"Has it arrived yet?" Fred asked as he ducked through the doorway, savouring the warmth of their shop as he handed his brother the other drink.

"It did indeed." George grinned, gesturing over his shoulder to an unopened box in the back room, behind the curtain. Fred bounded in there at once, and as soon as it was opened, he grabbed a couple and shoved them in his pockets out of sight. In another moment, he was bounding out of the shop again, making George chuckle.

"Thanks mate, I owe you one!" Fred called back over his shoulder, his twin raising a hand in acknowledgement. George grinned wryly. They had business partners with a shop which sold a bit of everything, but most importantly the normal versions of what they turned into tricks. So together they also mixed their wares at times, creating bundles wrapped in ribbons and cellophane which would be half normal lollies, for example, and half trick ones. Like the Every Flavour beans, you could never be sure of what you were to get next. In their business meetings, Fred had grown to be quite fond of the rougher one, leaving George happy because he was quite taken by-

"He's commandeered my shop and my co-worker." Minya announced as she walked into the shop, making George almost spill his tea.

"Sorry about that, something new came in that he's been waiting to test on Tara." George smiled apologetically. As well as work together, Tararyn quite enjoyed the chance of testing anything new that came in before the public got to see it, although Minya was quite certain it was only a fools excuse to be closer to Fred. Those two were louder, and also worse at hidding their feelings for each other. It was obvious to anyone but themselves, and they danced around each other wildly, unilke George and Minya who were quite content to simply sit on the sidelines together and watch in amusement.

"Are you coming over for dinner tonight?" Minya asked, smiling as George took her hand in between both of his and his still warm cup of tea to warm it.

She couldn't help but juxtapose their relationships. Fred would just show up without invitation and Tararyn would never know how to ask without blushing. "Sounds lovely." he kissed her cheek, squeezing her hand one last time before she left, having to make sure they other two weren't destroying the shop by accident in one of their shy dances of crushes. Why couldn't they just act like we do? George thought to himself in amusement.


	4. Carpe Diem

Right. This was it. It would be his moment in the sun, in the spotlight. He would finally be able to stand tall, and people would take notice of him! He would get the recognition he had always craved, and the attention as well!

Ron Weasley got on his very own broom for the first time and kicked off...only to have one of his brothers, George, pounce on him from above and knock him down.

"George!"

"Aww heck little bro. No tears eh?"

"I'm not crying! I was going to make a goal!"

"And Fred and I are the bludgers! It's our job to knock you down!"

Little eight year old Ron clenched his fists in anger, sick and tired of always being the lowest of the low in the family.

"Give him a fair go guys." Bill encouraged, looking on from his height above them, drifting in the air beside Charlie, amused at this little brothers antics.

"Everything okay?" an uncommon voice asked. Charlie's _girlfriend_, (the very word made Ron blush) was visiting for the day and in her position as Keeper she had missed most of the action.

"Of course it is, little brother's just being picked on again." Charlie reassured her, smiling that lovesick smile that his brothers all teased him about.

Fay just giggled, her attention not even on Ron at all as she didn't care. Ron's ears turned red because of course she didn't. Everyone here just wanted to play and he was slowing them all up, yet again, just like usual. He knew that he wasn't wanted, and that they had only asked him along to play because Mum had told them to and they needed the numbers...he wasn't wanted. He never was!

So to make it easier for everyone, Ron scrambled to his knees and turned to run for the house.

"What's the matter dear?" Molly asked as Ron banged the door open on his way in, tears almost in his eyes at the injustice of it all.

"I just wanted to score a goal!" he demanded, his mother folding him away in his arms after giving him a freshly baked muffin. "And and and they wouldn't let me!"

Molly rocked Ron back and forth gently, watching the game continue out the window, the twins flying a little too high for comfort, the neighbours could see something...

"Mum!" Ron demanded, it was his turn for attention for once. Just once!

"It'll be okay..." Molly soothed, knowing her youngest boy needed inspiration to keep on coping. It must have been hard to be the youngest, knowing the least and always being picked on... "Your chance to seize the day and get your victory will come one day dear..."

"Seize the day?"

"It means to take hold of everything and...conquer it...be triumphant. To win. It even has it's own special words...Carpe Diem."

"...Carpay deeum." Ron repeated slowly, a smile spreading across his face. "Carpay deeum..."


	5. Carpe Noctum

Ever since he had received that first note, everything felt a little slanted and as if he was trailing behind and being dragged fast, and he was feeling every bump and crack in the road.

He still had the parchment, and it was in his pocket, waiting. He kept it close to him as if to prove it existed, even though her smile reminded him it was real as well. He could hardly believe it, that she had chosen him and it seemed impossible that classes and duties continued how they always were that homework was just as plentiful...how could everything be the same when everything was so different?

He received another Owl that evening. "Are you still coming?"

His reply was immediate, his usually immaculate handwriting now slightly splotchy in his haste to reply. "Yes! Definitely! You'll be there, right?"

He received no reply, as if she was teasing him and he almost felt like he knew it must be some elaborate joke, probably played by the twins, just to make him look like a desperate and eager...

He'd go anyway, like he always knew he would. He'd wait until midnight, he told himself sternly. And then that was it, bed time, for he had classes to think about and homework to catch up on which he had been too nervous to do after dinner.

At 10:30 he set off, only a little early since they were due to meet at 11. He'd never broken a school rule before, not on purpose anyway, and as he crept down the school hallways, listening out intently for Filch or a Professor or anyone really, he wondered whether this would be the best moment of his life so far or the worst. What if he got caught and they owled his parents? Would that ruin his goal to work for the Ministry forever? What if she-

"Hello Percy."

"Hi...Penelope." Percy blushed, looking at her a little amazed that she had actually turned up.

"I never believed you'd actually sneak out...for me." She admitted, blushing as well as he hurriedly closed the door behind himself and moved closer to her.

"Of...course I would. I never thought you'd actually be here...or..."

"Or what?"

"Or actually be interested...in me?"

"Of course I am."

They shared a shy, soft smile, Percy managing to finally gather the courage to sit beside her on the desk.

Silence. Awkward silence. Waiting for the other to do, or say, anything really.

"_C'mon Percy ol' boy. You stood up to that Malfoy boy and to the twins for stealing your ties, you can do this also. Seize the night! Carpe Noctum!"_

Percy leaned closer slower and Penelope met him halfway, their lips touching hesitantly at first, and then more as they relaxed against each other.

"_This must be what heaven is like..."_ Percy thought to himself dreamily. _"How could I have even imagined that anything could have gone wrong?"_

A door opening, and then a gasp.

"Ginny! Get out of here!"


	6. Laughter

She loved him because he was able to make her laugh, but that wasn't just it really. There was more to it than that, kinda like how although he was known to hug others with her he was especially...romantic. In the sweet, truthful sense. Many guys could do that though, and after a while it got annoying. All sop and no actual fill, you know? He was...special though. They were fast friends before anything romantic had ever started and although she didn't laugh aloud at much, (all anyone usually got from her was a wry smile at the most) he kept her entertained for hours on end by doing nothing special per se, just by being himself and thinking aloud, thoughts which had made her laugh until she cried.

It was what she needed really, it's what made him so perfect for her. Her childhood had been blackened by an alcoholic and workaholic father, and then the death of her mother in that car accident when she had been 12. High School years had been clouded by teasing and few friends, and it had been hard for someone so young to move countries, but she just wasn't able to stay there with all the memories. Moving to England had been hard, really really hard, but oh so worth it, especially now. She owned a shop along with her best friend, and she finally knew people like Fred existed. Even if they never settled together and started going out officially, even if they never kissed, she would still know that people like him existed in the world and that made it just that bit more liveable.

"You're such a dork." Tararyn giggled as she pulled the carpet off Fred's head. In an effort to 'surprise' her, he had hidden himself under the rug, which wasn't exactly the best person since a large lump had been in the middle of the room when she had entered. Still, it had given her the excuse to tackle him and just touch him, fixing his ruffled hair after he had emerged.

"Only for you, I am." He replied seriously, pulling a small orange bag from his pocket. "Here, another trick in working." He winked, tipping out a few tri-coloured sweets into his hand, letting her pick one out and put it in her mouth immediately, making him smile. Few people trusted him absolutely, whereas she did without question, despite his antics.

"You inspired this, actually." He informed her as she giggled, still sucking on the sweet. "We're going to call it a Funny Bone, and change the look of them a bit."

She couldn't stop giggling, and collapsed next to him on the carpet.

"I love these things." She laughed, meaning all the creations Fred and his brother made. "I like the ones that don't make me pass out." She teased, making him poke her ribs.

He made her laugh, and she trusted him with all her soul, and that was why he loved her.


	7. Not Human

Sometimes it felt like half a life. It was so hard to get a job, which meant no money and no new things, which made you look dirty and cheap and then you were unwanted in society anyway. It was a vicious cycle. Take one thing out and it stops everything else, breaking everything down slowly until all you do to spend your day was read and muse upon the world, slowly getting more and more depressed?

He couldn't drag anyone down into this life, and that's what he was doing to her, it broke his heart, especially how she couldn't understand that it was truly that way. It made it all that more harder to leave her, especially when she wouldn't let him.

"I don't care, Remus. I love you...you love me, right? That's all that matters." And then she'd sit in his lap, so light with her young weight and kiss his cheek after ruffling his hair playfully.

It was a hard life, but that's not what bothered him. When he had been younger it was the injustice of it all which had hurt him the most, how society could be so stupid...so ignorant! It was just unfair how he could be ostracised for something that he couldn't help, but he could control. If he wasn't a danger to anyone, why did it matter? Couldn't they see that it was society pushing them away which created the werewolves who hated the pure humans and attacked them?

No...what really hurt Remus now was that he couldn't live a normal life. And in turn, never could his precious Nymphadora. Neither could his friends, all through high school and then life…although it had helped Sirius when he had been in hiding...something which had seemed like a bad thing at the time.

"Don't mope about it..." Tonks pleaded, knowing instantly he was down when she arrived home from work (finally). The days seemed so long without her. "Forget that silly 'tradition', in so many homes the woman stays home and the man brings in the pay packet. So it's reversed in this house, who cares?"

"It's not that...exactly...I want to work, that's it. And I want to be able to buy you nice things...I want to live, 'Dora."

"You can." Tonks kissed his cheek gently, sitting beside him as he took one of her hands between hers and rubbed it to get it warm from the outside chill. "When we have our child you'll be busy...you'll have your life then." She smiled as she rested her other hand on her slightly bulging stomach.

Remus couldn't have been happier when he had heard their news, but at the same time he couldn't help hating it, just a bit, as well.

"I'm...not human..." he murmured. "And I could never be good enough for our precious child. He or she will never have a full father to look up to...is that any life for a child? A half life?" he paused. "I'm not human, Dora..."


	8. Passion

It was everywhere you looked, everywhere you went. It was in those books you could buy at the airport and news agencies for under $5, it was in those womans magazines and on TV in everything from video clips to the soaps. It was hard to get away from, if you didn't want to see any of it anymore, or hear about it anymore, but it was also a little hard to get hold of, if you usually didn't mix in such things, or if you were the kind who'd be embarrassed to buy, watch or go to see such a thing.

She wanted to know more about it, in a way that felt dirty, but it couldn't be as such since it seemed like everyone else knew everything there was to know already, so it couldn't be that bad to know, could it? It was socially accepted if everyone knew it, almost common knowledge! ...Except to those who knew nothing. This was the sort of thing you couldn't read in books. Well...you could...if you had such books...but the school library had no such thing, and her parents knew of all her books and she didn't want the trouble of having to hide it, of having to hide anything from her parents!

This is where she felt a little hurt. Hurt that her mother had never sat her down and had 'the talk' with her. Also hurt that although the other girls spoke of it at school, they spoke about it at a different level than she could understand. They left out the basics, and without them their talk was like it was mostly in another language, just in English at the same time...

This was something Hermione wasn't a know-it-all about.

Passion. It intrigued her. With the few boys she had been with, she hadn't experienced anything of the sort she expected it to be like. It certainly wasn't as how it looked like in those few movies she had seen, or in the soaps her mother watched, so what was it like? One day, perhaps, she would find out. She would wait until the perfect male came to her, and then she would experience it in its finest.

She knew already though, with him, she would feel it. That was why she could hug Harry, even kiss his cheek hello or goodbye...but with him? No, she could never even hug him, because she knew if she did, she'd never want to let go, and she wouldn't be able to force herself to. And he would probably hate it and shove her away and be embarrassed for the both of them.

Ron Weasley. Hermione sighed, admittedly a little childishly. His fire red hair, the very symbol of passion. One day she would sample it, at the very last chance perhaps, just before they faced Voldemort so in case he pushed her away and broke her heart, Voldemort would stop all the pain anyway a moment later. Yes.


	9. Hurt

Once she was out of the hospital, Ginny locked herself in the bathroom of her dorm, her roommates nowhere to be seen. Everyone had started to avoid her as soon as they had finished the customary visit to make sure she was okay and she was quite happy with that. Once again her brother, Harry and Hermione were the spotlight of the hour, leaving her in the shadows once more. Where she belonged. She was such a stupid girl, she was, she was. Ginny chanted this to herself over and over in her mind; it felt empty without him in it. For...how long had he been there for her? How long had he occupied her mind, whispering to her and keeping her company?

For that year almost, she had believed she actually had a friend, someone who would always be there for her, just like Ron had Harry and Hermione, or the twins had Lee and Angelina, or Percy had Oliver and Penelope...

For almost a year, she had almost felt happy.

Of course, when he had started hurting her, that hadn't been too good, but at least she still had a friend! And he was amazing, he still listening to every word she said, still gave her advice and led her on the path of what to do. Kinda like those God religious types, but he made more sense...

All Ginny could think of now though, as she stared into the mirror at her pale and ghost like self, was how she had been tricked, and how she was now once again alone, and that even though the twins had said they were taking her outside that afternoon for a snowball fight, her family were now ignoring her also. Even though she had been a captive of the boy who had become Lord Voldemort, even though she had painted school hallways with blood and freed the basilisk time and time again...even after all that she was still ignored...cast to the shadows...

Ginny broke down and cried, staring at herself while she did. She looked so ugly when she cried, and that thought made her cry more and more, ugly, stupid, unwanted. Almost a murderer, causing Hermione to be petrified, almost responsible for Voldemort coming back to life, almost causing the death of Harry, everything was just mounting up and up against her and she had let it all happen.

She was weak. And a fool. And a disgrace. Malfoy was right, she was an insult to the Pureblood's name of Wizard, would she ever be able to make up for it?

Would she ever have a true friend?

That was what caused Ginny to cry really…it wasn't everything she had done or almost caused…it wasn't that she had nearly died…it was that Tom had betrayed her. Tom, her closest friend, whom she had told everything to…Tom had hurt her, and that was all that mattered.


	10. Morbid

He was angry. Sometimes his thoughts alone ate him up so much he couldn't even breath. He wanted to scream, he wanted to shout, he wanted to attack the next person who walked by and just get all his anger out, because he didn't know how much longer he could contain it for.

It just wasn't fair. He knew that every teenager must have that thought in their own minds at least once a week, but with him he knew it was more justified. He was losing everyone in his life, slowly, and it had been that way ever since he was born. He had done spectacular things before he could even remember and he had so much to live for in the regard everyone was expecting him to save their world. All he wanted was a normal life, that was enough for most people! Some people couldn't even handle that, and yet he had to live the normal life along with all this extra crap everyone had piled onto his shoulders!

He shoved the pile of books he needed for that nights homework to the ground, the loud noise satisfying his anger. He wanted to smash something, break something even! But he knew he would regret doing it to his own things and he couldn't do it to anyone else...

He needed to get out to get away, so he grabbed his broom and jumped right out the window on it, plummeting 20 meters before he caught himself, his head now a little clearer with the adrenalin in his veins.

He dived under the Quidditch pitch stands to the place he had always disappeared to and flung himself off his broom, letting it drop beside him.

He wanted parents. He wanted Sirius back and he wanted Ginny. Ginny was alive, unlike the rest of them but he could never condemn her to the life he had to live. He was setting her free, even if at this stage she yelled that it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be with him, and although he only half listened, she had said she needed to validate her life…make up for where and when she had gone wrong, but he couldn't listen to all that because in his mind, she were an angel.

One he would only kill if he kept her close. Everyone else around him died?

Harry muttered the word to his wand, and then grated it against his arm, right from his palm to the bend of his elbow, eyes closed as he drowned in the tantalising pain. He did it again, harder and harder until he withdrew. He didn't want to die as well, not until he had saved his friends anyway, he just wanted to take a bit of the pain he had caused everyone else. Preparing himself for death, since he knew he'd die when he met Voldemort in the final war. And it would be the final war, he would make sure of that.


	11. Bad Hair Day

Remus grinned wryly at his friend.  
"What?" Sirius asked after a moment, a happy grin on his face as well.  
"It's just good to see you." Remus replied quietly. "It's...so strange to be without you all, to be the lone marauder for years upon years...and then I suddenly find out that you're not a double crosser and you're not out to kill Harry...and then I lose you again in a way, since you have to be in hiding...and now we're here." Remus indicated the Black house. "It's like you've come back from the dead"  
"It feels like I have." Sirius agreed. "Everything feels raw, you know? So much has changed"  
"And yet it feels almost exactly they old times." Remus finished off his sentence for him. They both lifted their mugs and drained the rest of the firewhiskey, sighing with content afterwards.  
"So, how does it feel to be just that little more free?" Remus asked after a beat of comfortable silence.  
Sirius paused at this, not quite looking as pleased as Remus assumed he would.  
"It's not quite...freedom." Sirius began to explain. "...I'm locked in here, I can never leave, whereas before I was outside and I could travel"  
Remus understood at once now, he knew well how much Sirius liked to be outdoors, liked to travel...the enchanted motorbike after all.  
"Here is a lot more comfortable and better in every other way though." Sirius continued. "I'm with friends, I'm warm, dry well fed and clean, I get to see you and Harry and I can help in every way I can otherwise...it's just that"  
"You should be a free man." Remus finished for him once more, making Sirius smile and nod.  
"Still...things aren't fair for anyone really, are they?" Sirius mused aloud as he refilled both mugs to the brim. "Peter still exists out there somewhere...you can't have a real job...Harry has no parents...thes children are growing up to have a future of an unavoidable war and my poor cousins affections for my best friend are being rejected." Sirius ended with a sly grin, making Remus choak a little on his drink as he blushed and remained otherwise silent about the comment.  
Sirius let them both remain in silence, both musing to themselves over life in general as they drained mug after mug, slowly getting more and more drunk, just like old times. Well, at least like that last time at James batchlor party.  
After a while, Sirius noticed Remus staring at him with a small grin.  
"What"  
"You just look so...wild." Remus explained in amusement.  
Sirius winked, and tried to push his overgrown mane like hair behind his shoulder. In this time away from civilisation cutting his hair hadn't exactly been a priority on his list, and how it was still wild and uncut. Molly had plans to cut it the very next day. Sirius however, was strangely proud of it all. He grinned at Remus and replied delicately.  
"I'm just having a bad hair day." 


	12. Many Other Gifts

"I want to get her something special." George was looking at Fred with a serious expression on his face, something rare for them both while they were at work. "It's her birthday in a week...what should I do"  
"I don't know mate..." Fred shrugged. "Girls are still a bit of a mystery to me"  
"What would you get Tara if it were her birthday then?" George asked, refering to the girl his twin had a bit of a thing for. Fortunately, Tara was best friends with Minya and they owned a shop together, just down the road from the shop the Wealsey twins owned. It was how they all had met actually, and while Fred liked the free-spirited, natural and slightly eccentric Tararyn, George preferred the calmer and more passionate Minya. Things had worked out perfectly really...or at least they had until her birthday began drifting closer...he wanted to get her the perfect gift.  
Fred shrugged after musing on the question for a good while. "Something from the shop"  
"You give her that every chance you get anyway." George teased. "As soon as we get anything new in, or we develope something new, you take off to give her a taste of it"  
"Well I'd get her a new scarf or something then." Fred shot back, nudging his twin roughly with his elbow, an embarrased grin on his face. "Or something nice to wear"  
George decided to ignore this comment, knowing he had a lot to tease with but decided it would be safer for his well being to just let it drop.  
"Well...what could I get Minya?" he asked again.  
Fred pulled out some parchment and began doodling with a quill, his way of brainstorming while George stared off into space. They had no customers just then, there would be more again at the lunch time rush, and George was determined to go and buy Minya something as soon as the lunch rush was over.  
"How about some nice muled wine"  
George shrugged.  
"Tickets to go see something"  
George made a mutural noise in the back of his throat.  
"Certificate for lessons or for some girly spa thing"  
George sighed. "I don't think that's exactly her thing..." Fred picked up three small bundles of lollies on the front counter and started to juggle them. "Well, I don't know mate. Looks like you're on your own there with the thinking"  
"Seriously, if Tara's birthday was tomorrow, what would you get her?" George asked after a silence, desperately almost.  
"If it was tomorrow?" Fred looked at his brother through the flying bundles and grinned. "Since it's a bit late notice for me, I'd just give her a kiss."

Hours later and still without many concrete plans, George set out to go hunter and gathering. He eventually ended up with many other gifts besides the main one, a check book set out with chores and promises, the last being 'I Promise you One (1) kiss, for whenever you may desire it.' 


	13. Tied Up

Her eyes were wide and watchful, yet her eyes were also trusting and calm. She watched him carefully as he entered the room again, her prize in his hands which he tucked into his pocket as he paused beside her, brushing her hair back from her forehead gently.  
"Hey..." he greeted softly.  
"Hey you..." she replied softly, gazing up at him upside down. She was lying down the bed, her head where her feet should be and her feet tucked under the pillows from the cold. She was wearing his robe and nothing underneath, making him grimace in his own mind at the thoughts it conjured up.  
"Been waiting long?" he asked after a moments silence, opening his trunk to dump his school bag into. He had always been so picky about which thing went where and was tetchy about how clean things where as well. She watched him in amusement as he loosened his tie and then hung it carefully on a hook behind the curtains of his bed.  
"You have your own dorm with a wardrobe and you still don't even use it." She mused aloud with a grin, not answering his question. "How come"  
"The war is going to start soon." his reply was simple as he sat on the edge of his bed, and then was immediately pulled to curl up against her for warmth. "...And...I haven't exactly been here for all that long either"  
"Well that's true...it feels like it's been ages though..." she smiled as she curled her fingers under his chin. "Feels like we've been together for"  
"I haven't even been back for two months yet." he grinned up at her, his head resting on her hip as he gazed up at her.  
"As soon as you got back you just couldn't resist me any longer." she grinned back, and go a poke for her teasing lack of modesty. "I was thinking of you while I was gone." he admitted, making her eyes shine.  
"Really"  
"Ever since you ran into me after that Quidditch match..." he toyed with her hair gently as he remembered. "Ever since then...you've been on my mind...annoying little girl"  
Laughing, she jabbed him in the ribs and pined her down, only to have him flip her easily and kiss her, before he drew her prize out of his pocket. She unbuttoned his shirt teasingly as he wound the prize around her wrists and up to the bedposts.  
He tightened the ribbons around her wrists slowly as he leant over her, trying to ignore her persistant and teasing kisses on his bare chest. She shifted up on the bed a little as he tied them into one final knot, and then looked down on her playfully, curling her red hair behind her ear. Draco leant closer and kissed Ginny softly, trailing his fingers down her wrists and arms which were all tied up.  
"Now," he murmured. "Have you been naughty or nice lately, my dear?" 


	14. Dancing

There weren't many things he was good at really. He struggled with so much, caused his Professors grief here and there, recieved owls from home often giving him advice on how to be better and how to not shame the family futher...it was those owls which hurt the most really, although he tried not to show it. He always tried his best, his mind just seemed to jumble everything in his mind and made it all confusing! That was all...maybe if someone had been there to sit down with him and go through a few spells.  
But he couldn't think like that, because he had no parents. It would be what they would have done for him, right? It wasn't like he could expect anyone else to do their job for them, as well as their own, whatever that may be. So he just had to continue on himself like always, and he would. He'd get better one day, be promised!

All it took was practise and lots of it. Nothing really came easily to him (except for Herbology) but once he had perfected something from practise he was usually not too bad. He was able to conduct spells and transfiguration well enough eventually...just a few weeks after everyone else. He could have been a slow learner perhaps, that's what his Grandmother said anyway, but at least he wasn't a Squib.  
"You're as good as one sometimes." his grandmother moaned, "You're lucky your father isn't here to see this"  
That was what hurt the most, admittedly. That he wasn't good enough for his parents, that he was a disgrace to their memory. He had to be good, he just had to so he could...at least make his parents proud of how he had been without them once they were better. Because they were going to get better you know, it was only a matter of time. He knew that seeing them every weekend helped, and soon Mum may even remember him from the day before one weekend...maybe Dad would actually talk to him as well. Oh, they had shared a few words, but no where near as much as what his mother liked to say to him...

Maybe if he was better as a wizard...his parents would want to get better. Maybe they'd try harder. Maybe they would realise the successful wizard that was coming to see them so often was their son, and they'd come back to him. He would have to...rid the world of Voldemort to become the worthy...but for now...

Neville checked his shoes one last time (a mark of preparing himself to do good work. Check, check and double check, the same as practice, practice and more practise) and then flicked his wand to begin the music. With closed eyes and hands raised as if to rest on a hip and with a clasped hand, Neville began to move once more, and dance perfectly. 


	15. Flexible

"Are you sure its okay"  
"Of course it is." she grinned, dumping her jacket on the back of her chair before she collapsed back into it. "Your family getting together wouldn't happen often since everyones so spread out and theres so many of you...go to it. We can go out to dinner any night of the week"  
"We can?" Fred asked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking almost embarrassed. "You mean you aren't just going with me because you're free that night"  
Tararyn looked away, her smile faltering as she blushed. "I'm free every night...but I'd probably cancel whatever I had planned originally to go with you"  
"You would"  
"Well...its not like I have any family to put first." Tara brushed it off with a hesitant laugh.  
Fred gazed at her for a moment, "...Come with me"  
"What"  
"One more won't make the difference and mum'd love to meet you...come with me to the family thing." Fred wasn't sure why he was inviting her along, but somehow he knew it was the right thing to do.  
"I couldn't! I"  
"Please? Ryn?" Fred took her hand in his hestantly and squeezed it gently. "George'll be there...Minya could come as well if you'd like"  
She paused, looking down at their entwined hands. "...Are you just doing this so you don't have to take me out to dinner?" Tara teased after a moment, looking uncomfortable.  
"Of course not! I"  
"I'm just joking..." she quickly cut in, releaving his anxiety that he had hurt her feelings. "...I'd love to..." she blushed with a smile.  
"Great." Fred smiled back, dropping her hand gently after a long moment. "I'll, uhh...pick you up around four"  
"That'd be great." Tara was suprisingly quiet for once, looking just as shy as Fred felt.  
"So...I'll, uh, see you then?"

"Minya's busy, she can't come. Weren't you going to go out with Tara anyway?" George asked, slightly confused at his twins nervous attitude and twitchy mannor even though he had been home for two hours now.  
"Well...yeah. But then Charlie owled telling me all this stuff he was bringing around and how he couldn't wait to show it to us...and...she's a great girl...really understanding...so I just asked if we could move it to another night...and then I just invited her along as well. Things were weird though...just...EUGH. Girls, you know"  
George nodded wisely, chucking some carved up breast chicken into the pan on the stove. It was his night to cook, but as Fred wanted to talk he was overseeing the rice was cooking evenly as well. "They're controlling just by existing. I didn't even want a coffee today, but I had one just because Minya was and I wanted an excuse to go with her"  
"See! That's just it!" Fred exclaimed, then fell silent with a sigh.  
"So you're still taking Tara out to dinner, and she's coming along back home tomorrow night"  
"Yep." Fred looked almost proud. "That's what is so awesome about her...she's so flexible." 


	16. Grey

It was the colour of stone, it was the colour of storm clouds and it was the colour of dirty ice. Not many eyes were of this colour these days, most people had brown eyes in this generation, although the Boy Who Lived had the green eyes of his mother.  
Malfoys kid had grey eyes, and so had Tom Riddle before he had turned to Voldemorts reborn body and his eyes had turned the red of pure evil.  
Did the colour grey represent anything good? Some people liked the stormy clouds, this was true but living in a country where that was usually all they saw it wasn't so common.

It was the colour of dust and the colour of cold metal electronics in a muggle home. The colour one drew for signifying cold or when you wanted to draw 'white' but couldn't because it wouldn't show up on white paper.  
It was the dulled colour of silver. Of jewelry and a necklace or ring around a young females throat. It could be the colour of pearls in shadow, or the hair of a grandmother or grandfather, welcoming you to their home for a holiday visit. It could also be the colour of a blade.

Grey could signify so much, and yet so little of it was good.  
Did those that were good outweigh the bad though? Or did it depend on the person whether they were worth it or not? Some people hated pearls, whereas some strived for years to save up to buy a string of them for that special someone in their lives. Some people wore gold anyway, the colour of sunlight, but then again gold could be gold dust, and dust could be grey...did that mean anything?

Colin liked the blade comment though, he looked at the one in his hand for a good long time, considerings the greys in mud you could get, or in rocks you skimmed down the river with family members on picnic outings.  
You could get the colour grey in bruises, right between when they were purple and yellow, but mostly Colin Creevly saw the colour in sharp metals, and he savoured that thought as he drew the blade sharply down his arm. He loved the school uniforms for their robes covering even past his hands so they hid everything, and that the castle was naturally cold in parts so he could always wear a jumper. No one knew, no one ever had to know, did they? They didn't know that he knew so well how much he bothered and annoyed everyone...how they all hated him for it.  
He dug the knife in deeper into his arm and dragged it up him arm, watching, transfixed as the blood spilled. It was so elegant in a way, probably because it was so slow. Anything slow was elegant, because you could appriciate the moves and edges of it. Maybe he could be more slow...

Colin loved the greys in metals. 


	17. Smoking

It was dark outside, except for the moon shinning down from behind thin clouds and the dim light from the kitchen windows. They had snuck outside after desert having spoken with significant looks at each other over their bread-and-butter pudding.  
"If mum catches us"  
"She won't. At least she won't as long as you keep your big mouth shut"  
"Of course I will! But...we can't"  
"Can't what? Bit scared, are ya"  
"No"  
Fred and George exchanged a grin, they were in their third year at Hogwarts now and were getting a bit too smart for their own good, in Ron's personal opinion. They had just had their double 13th birthday and were now in full swing of making their own spells and enchantments up from scratch. It was amazing really, especially now they had a thing called.  
"Here, take one." George pulled the packet from his pocket, revealing a packet of cigarettes. They had seen Muggles with them and then somehow they had got their hands on a packet, Lee Gorden had helped out somehow, and then they had 'improved them', so to say, and offered Ron the chance to try them out before they got back to school.  
Ron reached out a hand slowly as his older brothers watched and cautiously took one of the curious white, soft sticks, and then looked at it while Fred nudged his twin.  
"Do you know what to do with it?" George asked with a laugh.  
Ron didn't answer straight away, he had an inkling, but knew whatever he said they'd just laugh anyway.  
"You light it." Fred told him with an annoying air of knowledge in his voice. "Here." he muttered a word to his wand and it lit up imediately with a flicker of a flame, which he held to the end of Ron's cigarette. "You have to inhale on it so it lights." he added after a long moment of Ron standing there, holding it with a slow look on his face. "This isn't the same as your turning a rat yellow spell, is it?" Ron asked warily, he'd never forget that day he had made a fool of himself. On the first day he had ever met Harry and Hermione as well! Oh what had Hermione really thought of him? Harry hadn't known any better, coming from a Muggle family...but.  
George snickered and flicked out a cigarette for himself, leaning over the flame and sucking it in until the end lit and he drew back, looking at Ron with a smarmy grin who copied him immediately, making Fred chuckle as he pulled one out for himself.  
"See! Now so hard now, is it"  
"I thought..." Ron muttered, then shook his head, not bothering to continue. So, this was it, was it?  
"And now you're smoking!" Fred nudged Ron with a grin. "Pity it's not a real one, these are charmed so they're filled only with chocolate, you know." 


	18. Flashbacks

Snape clenched his fist closed after Harry left, glaring at the pensieve as if it was all the bowls fault for what had happened. He didn't know why it was added in there, maybe to remind him of where he had come from, to remind him of his past and what to work away from.  
It still hurt so much...

'Leave him ALONE!' James and Sirius looked round. James's free hand immediately jumped to his hair. 'All right, Evans?' said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature. 'Leave him alone,' Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. 'What's he done to you?' 'Well,' said James, appearing to deliberate the point, 'it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…' Many of the surrounding students laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and nor did Lily. 'You think you're funny,' she said coldly. 'But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone.' 'I will if you go out with me, Evans,' said James quickly. 'Go on… go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again.' Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled. 'I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid,' said Lily. 'Bad luck, Prongs,' said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. 'OI!' But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about: a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants. Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, James and Wormtail roared with laughter.

Snape shook his head, riding the memory, the flashback from his mind. That bloody meddling Potter, poking his nose wherever he went, everywhere he liked. He, like his father, never got into trouble, not once! Snape seethed to himself, Harry was a weak waste of space.

He sighed and sank into a chair, resting his chin in his hands as he closed his eyes and lost himself in another memory, one he was more fond of, but it also made him a little more bitter as well.  
After a long afternoon of working on their final essays for Potions, she had just smiled at him in such a way that he had leaned forward, ever so slowly and had kissed her, and Lily had kissed him back, ever so gently and then she'd smiled at him again and kissed his cheek before leaving for the night.  
Then she'd never returned to him.

Snape sighed once more, bitter. He hated remembering the past. 


	19. Ice Cubes

They chinked into the glass with a strange sound as he watched them closely, transfixed by the frozen cubed water.  
"So, what are these things called again?" he asked, tapping the outside of the glass with a perplexed look on his face.  
"Ice cubes." she replied with a grin. "It's just frozen water done in a freezer...not electricity"  
"But they're all in cubes"  
"Only because the water was set in a tray with all these different sections, right? You could do it with your wand if you wanted to"  
"Hmm, I guess so..." Oliver watched as she poured a drink called Coke Cola into the glass but didn't move to try it even after she had poured her own and taken a sip herself. "Those Muggles...they seem to cope okay, don't they? Considering they don't have magic and all"  
"Well, they have to really. Electricity does most of the work for them. And the Japanese, they're always inventing gadgets to make their life easier"  
She watched him for a moment as she took a seat across from him, and took another sip from her glass. "It's not going to kill you, you know." Katie Bell grinned, it's just a drink, tastes a bit like...well...it's hard to say. Have you ever had mineral water? It's got bubbles like that"  
"Haven't tried that either." Oliver smiled apologetically.  
"I think you need to be introduced a bit more to the finer things in the Muggle world." Katie grinned. "There's this band called INXS, I think you'd really love them"  
Oliver sniffed the drink cautiously. He was good friends with Percy, and his younger twin brothers had made him a bit paranoid about ingesting anything foreign, but...he trusted Katie well. She had always stuck by him when he had been Quidditch captain after all. Even now, that he was on the reserves team and had finished school long ago, she still invited him around for dinner. She had her own flat now, just like he did, and had cooked a full meal, just for him.  
It was good to see that some friends stuck around and made an effort to stay in contact.  
Oliver finally touched the glass to his lips and sipped it cautiously, then drank deeper as the taste appealed to him, making Katie laugh.  
"See, not that bad is it? I have good taste." she poked her tongue out at him and then rose to get the first course (the very thought made Oliver feel elegant) which was a potato and leek soup, his favourite.  
"What else does your taste include?" Oliver called, but didn't hear her answer as it got lost somewhere in the hallway along from the dining room to her kitchen, even though the flat was small.  
He loved it here, along with Katie's cooking. Oliver idly poked one of the ice cubes in his drink, moving around the icy chill so his coke was kept cool. What would he do without her? 


	20. Holiday

Halloween is the best type of holiday, Sirius muses. And with James dressed up like McGonagle, (who was forever known to them as McGoogles) what more could you ever want?  
Sirius taped his chin with his wand, and then affixed the beard carefully. Then, in the mirror, arranged the purple tassled hat on the top of his white haired head and he was done. The very best Dumbledore Hogwarts had ever seen. Remus was going as some book character Sirius had never heard of, and they'd been able to convince Peter to go as a ghost with a sheet chucked over his head. With a few too many wonky eye holes cut into it here and there as he carried a paper bag with a rock in it. It was from that Muggle comic, Peanuts, where the main boy character in it (Charlie Brown) always ended up as exactly that every year. It seemed to fit Peter perfectly.

Halloween just wasn't Halloween if the Marauders weren't involved after all. They had plans as well, oh yes, brilliant plans. Not that Sirius was of liberty to say what they were of course, but they would happen. Now, where was that bag of flour one of the house elves had given them...

Remus fixed his sleeves a little before he picked up his favourite quill and tucked it between a few pages of parchment. Tonight, he was Chaucer, and he was going to do a damn good job at it as well!  
...Even if very few people knew who he was talking about.  
Lily knew though, but she was going to be busy with James all night. Or at least, she was going to be spending the night trying to get away from James. It was a known fact that Lily was dressing up once again as an angel, just like she had last year, and it was a fair bet that once again, James would hardly be able to take his eyes off her.  
Remus sighed. For once, he'd love to have someone he could talk to about...stuff.  
"Hey mate." Sirius jumped up onto the edge of the bed, balancing on the wooden frame. "How'd my favourite book worm"  
The end of his beard was tickling Remus's ear, and he batted Sirius away in his usual 'pretend he's annoying me even though I'm smiling' mannor.  
"Lonely, actually. I was wishing to have an in-depth conversation about Chaucer with somebody"  
"Well you're not going to find that here in the dorms now are you? Unless Peter mate had learned how to read recently. Why don't you go and find Evens"  
"And interupt her 'setting up hidding places' for the night ordeal? I think not." Remus paused. "How about...if you let me babble on to you for a while, I'll promise to listen to you for a full day"  
"Sure, why not? Who could ever turn you down in your peasants outfit anyway eh"  
"Maybe this holiday isn't so bad after all." 


	21. Frosted

Some people thought she was cold and icy. Frosted, almost, frosted into place once her looks had reached their perfect state. Cool, icy blue eyes regarding everyone as prey or as those beneath her, whispy blonde hair floating behind her as she walked down the hallways, her robes always imaculate and her accented speech also flawless. She prounounced everything with ease, and the way you had to concentrate on her words to understand her only gained her more and everyones attention whenever she opened her mouth.

All the girls in Hogwarts hated her for it, they were all jealous. All the males found excuses to follow her, they offered to carry her books for her, and offered her the best slice of desert after dinner. They went out of the way to please her, even though she was cold, just for those glimces of when she was not. They would all do anything just to see her warmth and her charming smile, to see the light in her eyes instead of the dim disinterest.

Had she always been this way? She didn't exactly act like this at home. She loved her sister for instance, they'd dance for hours in the special room their father had made up for them, standing at the bar in front of the mirror as they worked their legs stronger and stronger, lengthening the hamstrings and everything else which would make them better dancers, a passion they both shared.  
Sometimes she would tie up her silky smooth hair up into a messy bun and cook with her mother in the kitchen, making cookies and muffins for the family to eat after dinner and they would gossip and tell each other everything, which was something they didn't do otherwise.  
After dinner, while her father sat before the fire she would race him to finish the daily crossword in the evening newspaper, and they would chuckle and afterwards, just before bed, they would hug and he would call her his special girl.

Could someone that frosted really live that life as well? Was it possible? They were both her lives, but they were seperate. They were almost semetrical enough though neither was a lie, they were just how she acted in different environments.  
If she wasn't cold and elite, frosted into perfection, then people other than family may attempt to get close, and those who were close could hurt you. Her first boyfriend proved that oh too well, he had hurt her more than she could bare. Which was why she now only dated to be seen, when it was appropriate for her of course. What use where they otherwise anyway, until it was time to settle down? She was only going to marry one of Daddys work associates sons anyway probably, so why should she let herself get close to anyone before then?

Fleur Dalacour, the frosted princess, rose from her seat in the Great Hall and left it as her hair swaying softly behind her. 


	22. Blind

She had a smile on her face even though her eyes were unseeing. She was gazing off somewhere over his shoulder as he passed back and forth, freting and pouring of the two books in his hands, trying to study both at once.  
"Don't fret about it so much...it'll wear off in a while." she grinned, not seeming to mind in the least that she was blind. Once again Tararyn had tried one of Fred's newest trick lollies, and once again she'd had a reaction to one. At least this time she could still breath though, and she was actually enjoying the experience of being blind for some weird reason.  
"I was born deaf, you know." she informed him casually as he continued to pace, feeling terrible for being the cause of such a thing. "I was deaf until I was at least four or something...it took the doctors that long to realise I had liquid all through my ear cannels and drums and all that kinda stuff"  
"You're fine now though." Fred looked at her now, finally paying attention to her once agian and dropping the books to his side. "You're not...aided by magic or lip reading are you"  
"Nope. I can hear perfectly well. Well, no, that's a lie. My left ear is slightly damaged from standing next to the speakers one too many times when I was playing bass guitar but that's not the same. Yes, I can hear perfectly well enough though I was deaf once...and so it doesn't matter that I was, right? Just the same as it doesn't matter I'm blind now. This won't be pernament, and hell, even if it is at least I wasn't born this way. I know what everything looks like, that's a lot more than what most blind people can say"  
"Most of the other side effects lasted a few hours...I think a week at the very most for some boils George and I had"  
Tararyn giggled. "Do I want to know"  
"Not particually." Fred grinned at her charmingly although she couldn't see it, and sat on the arm of her chair, smiling as she fumbled her hand over his legs, looking for his hand. "I'll just say that the Quidditch game at week was very uncomfortable"  
Giggling again, Tara leaned against him, closing her useless eyes. "You realise you're going to have to be my eyes for me though, right? I do love my reading...I could get quite grumpy if I don't get to see what happens next in my lovely murder mystery"  
"Well, I guess I could help you out there. You'll have to hold me if it gets too scary though." Fred teased, feeling slightly strange as he thanked this oppotunity for happening. It really did feel wrong though, to be happy he had turned someone blind. Now he was even raking in the benefits as well. He smiled wryly to himself. Only he got capture someone who was happy to be turned blind by him. 


	23. The Essentials

Sometimes he wondered if things would be different if he had everything that everyone else did...everything they took for granted. The essentials, such as a place away from the Castle to call home...a father and a mother...a past! He didn't know anything at all about his grandparents...uncles or aunties...well, he knew about one of course, but he meant the magic side of his family. Everyone else always spoke about going to a cousins birthday party, and when it was their birthday they recieved owls and presents from more than just their friends and classmates in Hogwarts...they recieved them from family members young and old, spread right out around the country.

Even though he didn't want more presents or cards, he was truthfully happy with what he got already, he just wondered sometimes what it would be like. To holiday for a week to stay with grandparents or to have all the cousins over for Christmas.  
What if he had a little brother or sister? Ginny was kind of like his younger sister...but it wasn't the same. What if he had an older brother or sister like Ron and Seamus did? What would that be like? For Ron it seemed like they caused nothing but greif, but going over to his house for half the holidays they seemed like they were mostly fun...or at least interesting.  
They would be company for sure...someone to unite with against everyone else, just like how Ron and his brothers and Ginny fought against Malfoy as one.

Harry sighed, fiddling with the quill between his fingers. What would it be like having a house to call home? Although he did have his aunts and uncles house to call home...he meant a normal one where he had a place in it. Not just a room they felt forced to give him after a while. What would it be like to have a room that had posters in it, and wardrobes and bookshelves full of his own stuff? What would it be like to have a real past, and not one full of lies and things Dudley didn't want anymore or had broken already?  
There, sometimes, or well...most of the time, he hadn't even had a real meal. Dudley and his father ate more than their fair share and Aunt Petunia never seemed to need much...all he got was the left over vegetables, gravy and the fatty piece of left over meat. Harry wondered, most importantly, what it would have been like to feel wanted? To have had the right to get what he wanted, or to have the best thing offered to himself first, or to have an event especially for him...like when Ron had been younger, his mum had cooked whatever he wanted for his birthday. Would he ever feel what that felt like?  
At 'home' he had been nothing, and now here at the castle there were too many of them for him to be something.

What would life be like? Living with the essentials? 


	24. Mixed Languages

It had been hard at first, even though his English was fairly good. It was his accent more which confused things, and her accent as well which made him have to think for a while. He didn't know every single word he needed either, and sometimes his sentences would half be in his own native tongue, and the other half in slanted English. But it didn't matter, they could understand each other perfectly well most of the time, despite their mixed languages.  
It didn't matter how he said her name either, in fact she kinda liked it like that. It made her smile to see someone try so hard to please her and be correct that she just loved the way he said it. It was completely different from Harry and Ron who did the bare minimum for her and then expected her to do all the rest for them, talking about their homework of course. Viktor tried for her, he went out of his way to try and make her happy! And he actually thought things through before he started. He had waited weeks before he even got the courage up to speak to her, and he had even written down what he wanted to say when he asked her to the Ball in perfect english, researching a few words and their pronunciations before he jumped in.

It made Hermione feel wanted. Cherished, almost, that he would go through so much trouble, just for her. No one else did that for her...Harry most of the time thought things through before he opened his mouth, but Ron...eugh! He didn't even know he had said the wrong thing even days after he had said it! He was clueless, he really was, not like Viktor.  
Nothing like Viktor...

Hermione was going to take Bulgarian language lessons over the holidays, since they were going to stay in contact of course. She might even go and visit him, he had already offered. Since he always made such an effort for her to make things easier, she would now be able to do the same for her without feeling lame or like a 'try hard', an expression Pansy had oh so politely taught her. She didn't have to feel bad about herself at all when she was around Viktor, he even helped her with her homework. While everyone else wanted to play outside in the snow or sunlight he was more than happy to sit with her in the cosy library while she did her homework and essays, and even helped her improve them and make them better! Around Ron and Harry, she could just do hers and they would always be of a standard above theirs (and the classes) so it didn't matter. However, Viktor gently pointed out things she could improve on, or different angles to attack and assignment with.

She loved him, even though their communication was slightly messy. Despite the miced languages, she loved him. 


	25. Not like Home at all

After pacing back and forth, he finally threw himself into the plush armchair in front of the fire. It was horrid here, he absolutely hated it. There were rules and the uniform and of course the classes to go to. It was cold in the castle, a lot colder than it should be considering it was a school of magic for crying out loud, but Dumbledore was adamant that they shouldn't let magic fix everything in their lives. Idiocy. Magic was their blessing, it was what separated them from those fool Muggles and from the insult to the magic community Squibs, and they shouldn't hesitate to use it whenever they could. It wasn't something they used only every so often when they were 'allowed', they were born with it, it was their right!

It was nothing but a prison here. Fool classes run by even more foolish teachers. Day in and day out, following a timetable...back home he was free to do as he pleased! He should have tutors, just like his mother wanted. Then he could learn what he wanted and when. He's be able to do what he liked otherwise, learn in whichever room he pleased, wear what he wanted for actually be warm! But no, his father insisted that he be social and live the lives of who he would grow up to work beside. He had to be amongst the circle to work the circle and understand the circle and he had to earn his followers and co workers the right way instead of just buying them off. Otherwise, if someone came along with a better prize, he'd lose them all just like that, his father said all this throughout dinner during the holidays, every night.

He was sick of it. At home he was singular, special. They followed his lead and he could have what he wanted. Here, at school he was closer to nothing since they were students, and there were hundreds alongside him. It was unfair, they were a mix of half bloods and mudbloods here, they were below him! Even most of the students from pureblood families were an insult to the name, like that Weasley family, and he, Draco was expected to mix with them? Never! They were filth, and he wouldn't, shouldn't even be expected to walk upon such!  
He got up from his chair as others entered the common room, and after he threw a glare back over his shoulder at them, he disappeared down the stairs to his dorm room. At least there he could use magic to warm the place up. Draco knew that his father wished he could have sent Draco elsewhere. Unfortunately, he was also there to give his father word about Dumbledore, and that was where he would stay, until...

It was cold in his dorm room, amd messy, not like his home. The House Elves were a lot better there, better trained.

No, absolutely not. Hogwarts simply was not like home at all. 


	26. Just add tictacs

She could see again now, and had actually come to him this time, surprising Fred with a visit to his shop before he could visit her at hers. George patted her on the back and said she was a brave girl for visited so early. Fred hadn't even had his first coffee for the morning yet. George left them alone and walked off down the road to work with Minya instead, keeping two at each shop all the time to make it fair. Or at least that was the excuse that he was sticking to.  
Tararyn produced half a package from her pocket, looking to be one of the same of the 'Australian Care Packages' one of her friends back home sent her occasionally, filled with vegemite and other strange wonders which Fred wasn't quite sure he liked Tara enough to like them as well. She finally revealed a small plastic box, filled to the top with rice like...things. She took a few for heself before she handed it to Fred without a word as she sat at one of the other stools behind the counter.  
He looked at it for a moment, and then back up at her. "And what the hell is this?"  
"It's called a tictac, they're a Muggle sweet..." she laughed, amused at his expression. Back homea athough she came from a Pureblood family,social groupsmixed a lot more with the Muggles in Australia. Everyone was just too carefree to really care, and she had even gone to a Muggle primary school and then a year of Muggle highschool before an opening had come up at the Australian Institute of Magical Persons. Her knowledge of Muggles was something his Dad would love to hear from one day, and that was exactly why Fred had never let his father know much about her.  
"Try one, they're a form of breathmint." she took the money from the customer automatically and sold them the product even though it wasn't her store, and raised an eyebrow at Fred who still hadn't tried one.  
"I trust whatever you give me." she pointed out.  
"I'm just worried that I won't like the taste." he admitted, making her laugh.  
"So without the worry that they could turn you blind or make you stop breathing, you simply worry that you could get a taste in your mouth that you don't want?" she teased. "I wish my life was as easy..."  
"Oh lay off, I feel bad about those times, you know that..."  
She watched with a smile as he finally spilled one out and put it in his mouth, watching him carefully before she leaned forward and kissed him for a long moment, pulling away after what felt like an age.  
"I've been waiting to do that for a while..." she admitted with a blush.  
Fred could only gaze at her. "...Why did you wait?"  
She shrugged, looking away with a smile. "All I had to do to myself first was just add tictacs."


	27. Simple Ribbon

She received it by owl that morning, but didn't open it until she was back in her dorm collecting her bag before morning classes started. She had recognised the handwriting on the front and knew immediately it wasn't something she could open near her brothers.  
She dug into it hurriedly, smiling, blushing faintly that he had taken the time to send her.  
Two simple ribbons.  
Ginny stared at them in silence, rubbing them between her fingers as she relived the memory. It had been a glorious evening, one which kept her happy no matter where she was or how bad she felt before she revisited it. What could it mean for him to give them to her like this though? It felt a little...strange, especially since there was no- , ...no, wait, there was a note. She fished it out and devoured it, hoping it would make things less confusing. She read it with a creased forehead, not quite believing what she was reading. 

_"These are for you, to remember me by,  
For I need them not where I am going,  
I loved you then, I love you now, Where them if you love me in return,  
Forever and Always Just like my love and my thoughts for you."_

With a dead like feeling in her stomach she jumped up and ran from the dorm, ignoring the fact that classes started in ten minutes. She ignored the calls directed at her in the common room and jumped out the doorway as people walked in, knocking them slightly.  
Hurriedly she ran up the stairs, pulling her robes out of the way as they caught around her legs. She was trying not to cry, because she was probably over reacting, she had to be, right? The ribbons were tangled around her fingers and she must have looked a fright as she finally ended up outside the Slytherin common room, waiting until people walked out until she barrled in, ignoring their shouts as she rushed down the stairs in the corner, pressing on and on, faster and faster and knocking into people as she went until she got to his room and barged in, expecting the worse.  
There was nothing.  
Chest heaving, she stalked over to his bed after a long moment and ripped back the covers, then threw the pillows off as she searched desperately for something, anything!  
There, a letter with her name on it, it had been under the pillow. As she grabbed it, she heard a moan though, and shoved it in her pocket as she turned and saw the entrance to the dorms bathrooms. OF COURSE.  
She hurried in and right around the corner there he was, sprawled on the ground (elegant as always) with his blonde hair mused from the night whether he had slept or not, blood still spilling from his wrists.  
"I hope you liked it." he murmured quietly. "You always liked the simple ribbon best"  
And then he was gone.


	28. Sorting

Ginny had never felt more threatened as she waited in the line, her fingers tangled in the slightly mangled sleeve of her hand-me-down robe. This one had come from an older cousin, since she was the first female in their family to go to Hogwarts, it had been a little harder to find her a robe. For a while she had dreamed that she would get her very own, but of course she wasn't that lucky...their family just wasn't lucky.

However...if she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor...she would have to get her own new robes. Everyone in her family (except for some distant third-cousin) had been sorted into Gryffindor...but what if she wasn't? What would happen then?  
Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Fred and then Ron had each been sorted there, year after year for ages now. It had been years since a Weasley hadn't been in Hogwarts, and even in her last year that was when one of her younger cousins, her fathers brothers middle daughter would be starting. It was already a well known fact that Elise would be sorted into Gryffindor, no question about it and that only made Ginny worry all the more that she wouldn't be. She wasn't brave and daring like her brothers were, she just knew she would get sorted into Hufflepuff...although Fred had teased her often that she was destined for Slytherin. Growing up with six brothers made you turn sneaky, using any means to get what she wanted. It was how she had been forced to live though, she couldn't help it!

Ginny shuffled forward as the lin shortened. At least with a last name starting with W it meant that she wasn't anywhere near going first. It was better really, because by the time they got to her everyone would have really lost interest and they'd just be dreaming of the feast which would follow. The only eyes on her would be her families...Harry and Hermione...really, the only ones which mattered when she stuffed up.

She knew very well that she was destined for Slytherin. Looking over at that table she could almost see her shadow there already, waiting for her. Everyone at the Gryffindor table looked foreign to her, she knew already that she didn't belong there, and the Hat would know that well. A girl, she forgot her name but knew her last stared with a D, was already wearing Ravenclaw robes (looking hand-me-down as well) as if it was certain she was going there...and then as soon as the hat touched her head, it had shouted "Slytherin!"

What if Ginny was the same? Everyone in her past was in Gryffindor...but that meant nothing. Perhaps it could even mean that it was well past the time for one of them to go somewhere else?  
Would her brothers even talk to her anymore if she ended up somewhere else?  
"...Weasley! Ginerva"  
Ginny steped forward and took the sorting... 


	29. Red Rose

It was of perfect beauty, no blemishes at all. He twirled it in his fingers by the stem, not minding the thorns as he gazed at thoughtfully. How long would he have to carry it for, he wondered. Would it last before he was able to pass it on? Magic could only hold for so long, and really should it have to hold forever? No, it shouldn't have to. He should not have to hold onto this single rose forever until he could give it to someone. Everyone and everything had to die sometime...He just somehow didn't find it fair that he had no one whereas everyone else seemed to have someone of their very own...someone to give roses to...

He was liked of course, by a lot of people. Not in the way he wanted though. All they wanted was his popularity or to get on the Quidditch Team somehow. It all felt fake to him, especially the rumour that said Cho Chang liked him. Sure, she could very well like him, but only for what he had to offer her. He was of Pureblood family, just like she was, and his family was quite rich...that's why he almost prefered those from non-magical family, then at least they liked him for his popularity and now for his family rankage...

It didn't end when the holidays came either. There was always some dinner party to go to, or his father would take him along to a meeting just so he could be seen and be able to network with people. After all, he only had three more years of schooling to go, and his father expected him to be able to walk straight out from there into a comfortable job, just like he had. Even working there during holiday breaks would be good. Get in early to succeed early, that's what he always said.  
He wanted a break. He wanted...freedom. He just wanted to be himself and be loved and admired for that, instead of how friendly he was or how well he could fly or how much money he had to spend on Hogsmeade weekends. It was just all so fake! He wanted those who walked in the shadows with the others and smiled, and were loved for how they were...why couldn't he have that?

Cedric didn't know why it was so important to him, but after a long day of being social and having to spend time with everyone and almost sink down to gossiping all he craved was someone he could go to where he could just be himself. Or where he didn't even have to talk and they could just...hang out, you know?  
He wanted to be loved for him, no any other reason. He wanted to feel wanted.  
But he knew it would never happen.  
After all, as it was said in that Muggle Fairytale, who could ever learn to love a Hufflepuff? 


	30. Lightning

Across the night sky lightning flashed, illuminating even the dimmest shadows in the forest for a moment before it all went black again, thunder crashing loudly over their heads, making Remus flatten his ears against his head and couch lower to the ground.  
He was finally making himself useful to Dumbledore and the Order, and truthfully he wished there was another way. Joining the worst kinds of werewolves wasn't exactly written in his diary under '10 Things I want to do before I Die', but as Dumbledore had ordered him to do it...well...here he was.  
He was with a few of them now, they were all making their way to the one central place where the entire pack would meet up, they would be there in half an hour or so, and then they would head off down to a small village, just on the other side of the forest. Remus hated this part.

It was at times like these when he'd rather be with Sirius, no matter which foul and grumpy mood he was in, with Molly shouting at children he'd give his right arm to have, with Harry shouting at his friends and the twins trying to get into every meeting…it didn't matter, all those small annoyances were nothing and he felt like a fool for them ever getting to him, they seemed like heaven now that he was placed out here with murderers…animals who thought it was funny to steal another human away from their normal blessed life.

A howl went up, and suddenly they were running, all of them because they were so close now. They were the last group to join, and as they joined the pack everyone turned and ran with them, all howling as they leapt and skidded down the rocky bank, diving through foliage and tearing their coats and skin on branches. Remus did his best to keep up and howl with the best of them, sinking lower in his misery and self hatred for what they were doing. Dumbledore had sent him off to join the werewolves in hopes to figure whether they were joining Voldemort or not, and if they were, if he could change their minds, or at least weed out the weaker minded ones, and the rogue, and try to get them to join their side instead, or at least stay neutral. He knew though he wouldn't succeed, their leader was just too powerful, after all, it was he who had turned Remus himself into a werewolf…

As the lightning crashed once more overhead Remus winced and wished once more that he was back with Sirius in his families house, where Tonks was...he knew he didn't deserve her, but that didn't mean he didn't want her. He missed her pink hair and the way she tripped over everything clumsily and tried so hard to make him smile. As the lightening crashed over his head, Remus missed Tonks and realised he loved her. 


	31. Rainy Day

It was a miserable day outside. It had been dark and grey for days, but this one was so much more that people weren't even shopping in Diagon Alley, instead choosing to stay at home or in their offices in front of the fire, all rugged up.  
Some of the stores were still open, such as Weasleys Wizarding Weezes but they were one of the few open, and as a result they were bored.  
The shop which Minya and Tarayn owned was closed since Tara was sick in bed with the flu and Minya hadn't seen reason why she should have to leave the nice warm flat they owned above their shop if so many others weren't open.  
"Right, that's it. You're buggering me off mate." George announced suddenly. "We're closing up the shop and going to visit the girls."

On the way out of the shop Fred suddenly halted and ran back in, leaving George grumbling in the cold until his brother returned, the edge of something summery in his pocket.  
"Ask no questions and I'll tell no lies." Fred answered his twin before George could even open his mouth, and they set off down the cobbled path to where the girls lived.

"She won't see you." Minya laughed as she made them all a pot of coffee. "She looks dreadful and she's being a whingy sook about it too"  
"I am not!" Tara demanded, muffled by her closed door. "Sod off and get back to work, healthy people"  
"I have a present for her though." Fred announced loudly. "Or should I just give it to George? I'm sure he'd look lovely in it"  
The three laughed and it wasn't long before Tara relented.  
"Fine, come in then"  
Fred winked at his brother and Minya and entered the dark room casually, feeling a little…well…he was in her bedroom for Christs sake! He hesitated by the doorway as he gazed at her.  
"Not allowed to look at me though." She joked, burrowed down in her blankets as she peered out over at him, feeling flustered.  
"You look fine," he reassured, sitting down on the side of her bed as he pulled her present from his pocket, a hand weaved scarf, which looked like summer and autumn in itself.  
Fred looped the scarf around her neck and then used it to pull her closer slightly, cupping her cheek in his hand before he kissed her for a long moment. He smiled at her as he eventually pulled away chuckling at her blushed cheeks.  
"I've been wanting to do that for a while..." Fred grinned at her; it had been, after all, exactly what she had said to him after the tictac introduction.  
"Well, what took you so long?" She asked with a teasing smile, repeating his very own question from a week or so ago as well.  
"I was just saving it for a rainy day." he smiled at her, and kissed her softly once again. 


	32. Ambiguity

Somedays she didn't even know who she was anymore. After a long day at work and then extra personal work for the Order, sometimes Tonks came home and didn't recognise herself in the mirror at all. Who was she? She sank onto the sofa tiredly, pulling at the scarf still wrapped around her throat. She hated it, it was dark blue and just boring and dreary like the rain that fell outside. Why couldn't it be a nice night to come home to? It had rained all throughout the day, drenching her more than once when she had been out on duties out amongst Muggles. So now, home once again without a fire lit she was cold, miserable, and at loss at whom she really was. She was a mystery to even her, how could she expect Remus to love someone even she didn't know?

Some of her hair fell in front of her face and she brushed the mousy brown hair back behind an ear and sighed ever so softly. Although she wished it to be her usual pink colour, she was also sick and tired of 'playing dress ups' for the day. All day at work and after she had been someone she wasn't, and although the pink was more her than the mousy brown, she just wanted to relax as her pure self for once.

Her real nature and appearance, frequently changing her real nature and appearance had always made an impression of ambiguity on the other professors and now her friends, co workers and the Order members, as if they didn't have their own secrets, too! For she could never let her real self shine through. Although she was bubbly and affectionate truthfully, after years of torment as a child for being such a freak (she could make herself look like a pig for crying out loud!) she found it hard to trust anyone...after all, who could ever enjoy the company of a child like adult? The very thought of it was crazy.

If she had Remus though…maybe she would be able to find herself…  
'"Just…can't you…can't you understand that I would never be able to live with myself if I did anything to you?" he demanded, cutting into her words. "It's not the fact I don't think you can't do whatever comes in your way…not at all…it's the fact I could do something. I've lost everyone Tonks, James and Lily…Sirius twice…Peter a long time ago and yet he still exists today. My parents a long time ago as well now. How could I stand to loose you as well'  
His words haunted her mind, cut into her. Did that mean that he liked her, or that he just didn't want to have any ties to anyone anymore?

Of course he didn't like her, stupid girl. Because of her powers, she was nothing but an empty shell of a chameleon, and who could ever love an animal? 


	33. Balancing Act

If anyone else did or acted like she did, she would be nothing more than a pest and he would make sure he'd have nothing to do with her.  
However, she was who she was, and somehow he stuck around, not so much minding what was said at the end of the day, as long as they were still friends.  
As long as one day there could be hope that there could someday be more.

Was it a foolish thought? He watched as she dated those better than him, celebrities and guys who looked a lot better than he did, and all he could do was pretend it didn't matter, because there was no way in hell that he could let her know his real feelings. She'd do nothing but laugh and be disgusted all at the same time, and then she'd avoid him and then he'd lose her friendship. If he couldn't have anything more, at least he had that.  
He knew it was nothing but a fools dream, but it was all he had. It kept him going when everyone else laughed at him or when he felt alone in the crowds, because he had the hope that one day she would be his, and that's all Ron Weasley cared about at the end of the day.

He was so infuriating at times! But then again he could be so lovely, and he was always there for her as well…When Harry was in a mood he'd stay by her side and keep her company on the sofa in front of the fire, not teasing her about her knitting for once, just plainly keeping her company.  
But then at other times he could just be so hurtful, saying the stupidest things and then not even realising what a blunder he had just made.  
On the other hand though…sometimes late at night after she had gone to bed, but then sneaked down to check whether some of her knitted wears had disappeared she found him in an armchair with Crookshanks in his lap, patting his fur gently.  
Sometimes she wondered exactly how much of his actions were simply an act. Was he afraid of letting anyone get close to him? Why?

Either way, he didn't have to be so mean at times! Especially when he would say things just to get a reaction from her!  
At the end of the day though, it didn't really matter. Because she had the hope that one day he would be hers, and that's all Hermione Granger cared about at the end of the day.

It was a balancing act between Ron and Hermione with their love and friendship, tipping into tears and the feeling that everything was unfair and that the other didn't care and never listened.  
One day though, they'd work out how to live together in a perfect balance though, and they'd beat the act that they didn't love each other at all. They'd win, just you wait and see. 


	34. Obsession

She had all the information, she had the power he needed and she was the gateway to his freedom and life at last. Why wasn't she speaking to him anymore though? She had suddenly disappeared, she NEVER left him for this long all alone! She usually snuck him a few words here, a few words there. She wrote her class notes to him so she could write around them as well and stay in touch with him! But this morning, there had been nothing so far, it had to be almost lunch time and he hadn't heard a single word. This was simple unheard of, it wasn't allowed! He controlled her, where the hell was she, the pitiful excuse for a Wizard...

He had to calm, he had to think. She probably just left him someplace along the way, perhaps she had slept in after spending half the night talking to him anyway, so in her hurry to get ready for classes she had probably just left him under her pillow, right? Well, that had to be it. She depended on him, that much was certain, and she told him everything and all that he wanted to know, and quite a bit of what he didn't.  
So why wasn't she talking to him now? If she cared, she wouldn't have left him anywhere! He needed to know stuff, he needed to know it all so he could plan!  
And he'd been just about ready to tell her she was amazing as well, there was nothing like having the power to deepen a teenage crush on himself, and that would be all he needed to bend her to his ways even more, so the plan, THE PLAN, could take place! And she chose now to simply forget about him?

There would be hell to pay if she hadn't spoken to him by dinner time.

Days later now, and still nothing.  
He was fuming. Idiot child, how dare she cast him away like that! ...perhaps she wasn't as stupid as he had originally thought, although that was slightly hard to believe. He couldn't believe it had actually happened though, he couldn't be losing his touch…he was used to having anyone he liked wound around his little finger…well…except for Dumbledore of course…  
She had escaped…the one which got away. How had that happened? He had been so close, he had almost had her in complete control and then she was able to just walk away from it all? It was just impossible.  
He sank into a depression, alone once more, for what? Another 50 years? His plans couldn't wait that long! He was just aching to get started…

Ohh...Harry.  
If teenage Tom Riddle had hands, he would have rubbed them together. His obsession had come to him himself as if drawn by the scent. Who would have thought, out of the hundreds of students at Hogwarts that Harry would be the one to find him?  
This was excellent. 


	35. Chance

Chance was a big part of life really. It was all by chance that things happened the way they did, of who ended up in your dorm and house, who was picked to be what around you and where you ended up because someone else was next or behind you.

Really, Neville only had such a boring and inadequate life because Harry had been chosen and not her. What chance! That's all it was really, chance. Because their lives had began the same, only Harry was chosen instead of him, and for this reason, Neville lived a life without constant fear, without pain and without being harassed by the media or by those who resented him for his fame.  
Would Draco hate Harry so much if Neville had been chosen by Voldemort instead? If it had been him chosen, would his parents still be practically gone to him or would researchers from everywhere actually try their hardest to get them well again, just because he was The Boy Who Lived?  
Or...if he had been chosen, would he have even survived that fateful night?

The thing with chance though, was that you never knew how things would be otherwise and it could drive you made thinking about it. All chance was, was a flip of a coin so without that coin, what would have happened? What if someone hit it with magic, who knew how things would be like now?  
Would he be the captain of the Quidditch team?  
Would he have had a girlfriend by now?  
Or did that talent belong to Harry alone, despite what had happened to him? How much of it was Harry's true self, and how much of it was what Voldemort had done when he had tried to kill him?

Chance was what mainly controlled their lives. Snape was Potions master because when he had first joined Hogwarts as a teacher, someone better had already been there as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Life was hell sometimes in Hogwarts because Draco Malfoy had been born the same year as they were, and so he was in their year and their classes. Ginny wasn't his friend any longer because she had been asked out, and Hermione had been trapped by that troll and saved by Ron and Harry and that's why she had stopped hanging out with him just weeks after they had started school there.

Without chance, if everything was controlled properly and everything happened for a reason, would things be more just in the world? Would he, Neville, have parents or would he still be without? Would his grandmother be more loving of him, or did he deserve all that?  
Would he still be a coward, without friends, and a disgrace to the family? Was that from chance, or was that from him?

Who knew? It was hard to tell with chance, and there was nothing to do but live through it, and someday learn to control it.  
Chance was fickle. 


	36. Lady Luck

He shook the dice in his hand and then let them fly over the board, fingers crossed as soon as the dice left his hand, words flying in his head from an old Muggle musical, something called Guys and Dolls. 

_They call you Lady Luck._  
_But there is room for doubt_  
_At times you have a very unladylike way of running out_  
_You're this a date with me_  
_The pickings have been lush_  
_And yet before this evening is over you might give me the brush_  
_You might forget your manners_  
_You might refuse to stay and so the best that I can to is pray._

He had been, as the song said, unlucky all night and he desperately needed his luck to change. In his youth lady luck had always been with him, she had never left his side, not once! What had happened? In the past three years his luck had been slipping slowly, and now he was frantic for her to return to his side.

_Luck be a lady tonight_  
_Luck be a lady tonight_  
_Luck if you've ever been a lady to begin with_  
_Luck be a lady tonight._

Once again, he lost everything and as they all chuckled, laughed harshly or slapped him on the back for his bad luck, he rested his head in his hands and felt like crying.

_Luck let a gentleman see_  
_How nice a dame you can be_  
_I've seen the way you've treated other guys you've been with_  
_Luck be a lady with me._

Another round, and then another and another, he never knew when to stop, a factor which just made those around him laugh at his expense…literally. All to soon he was out and left with nothing, with no friends willing to 'lend him a few until he was back on his feet' because no one was that stupid anymore.

He was allowed one more roll though, for old times sake, an he held the dice close to his heart, preying for his luck to return to him…

_A lady doesn't leave her escort_  
_It isn't fair, it isn't nice_  
_A lady doesn't wander all over the room_  
_And blow on some other guy's dice._  
_So let's keep the party polite_  
_Never get out of my sight_  
_Stick with me baby, I'm the fellow you came in with_  
_Luck be a lady Luck be a lady Luck be a lady tonight._

Mundungus Fletcher left the room with nothing in his pockets and even without his shoes and cloak. He'd lost them to a joker who had bet him on those as well, and 'Dungus had stupidly accepted.

Now he had even less than before, and without Lady Luck by his side, would he ever be able to get on top again? Ludo Bagman wouldn't even have anything to do with him anymore, and that was saying a lot…

Mundungus collapsed into the gutter and buried his cold face into his gloveless hands.

He had lost his lady.


	37. Music of the Night

Sometimes escape was needed, and this was one of those nights. With his pillows stuffed under his covers bewitched to move a little every so often and his invisibility cloak on, he snuck from his dorm slowly, careful throughout the common room since there was still a few people there doing homework.  
The castle was lovely at night, not that he'd let anyone actually hear him using that word, but it was a completely different world when it wasn't clogged up with students.

He silently moved through the passageways, taking his time as he admired the quiet and the serenity of the historic grounds. Really, it had come to the stage that anywhere else was better than being in the dorms, what with his two best friends being all...into each other. He wasn't against it, per se, it was just his best friend was now always distracted by his affections, and although he was all 'good on them' for finally getting together after long last, it was a bit sickening to see then so affectionate, any couple got annoying like that after a while!  
And really, it just made him feel lonely that they had each other, and that his affections were still un returned.  
Still, he'd win her one day, he knew it. She'd come to her senses again, once she realised how much he had grown up and changed for the better, he was sure of it. You couldn't love someone this much without them loving you in return, the very thought of such unrequited love would force him to lead nothing but a half life, and she'd never do that to him, he knew it.

Slowly he pushed open the door, which creaked, hoping that no professors were around close by, monitoring the corridors. After a pause he started to make his way up the stairs, taking it slowly since the Astronomy Tower was well known for couples to go to in hopes of making out. As such, the professors made trips there a few times a night and if he bumped into one...well, he was Head Boy, it wouldn't go down that well, especially since school had only started last week.

He turned off before he got to the open area where you star gazed and where couples always went to, and instead paused by the door to the classroom, listening closely for a moment before he entered slowly, trying not to make a sound, although she was always distracted enough to ever notice he was there.  
He tip toed in and lay down in the corner, well out of the way of where she was sitting on the window ledge playing the violin, the noise dimmed a little so she could remain hidden from the professors.

James Potter watched Lily Evans happily, resting his head on his arm as he lay, listening with half closed eyes. Music, especially when it was coming from her, was never better when it was music of the night. 


	38. Screaming

Back home once more for the holidays although he would have preferred to stay at Hogwarts. It was funny, not even a year ago he screamed black and blue to be able to go home, to where he was king of the castle, but now he almost cried at the thought of having to go home for a few weeks. Such an action caused her to cry as well though, which made him feel worse. She cried because she cared though and she cried a lot because she knew everything about his family and what went on when he went home, pain for his failure and weakness, pain so he could grow and learn from it...any excuse his father got really... 

Sometimes he thought he deserved it though. That mudblood Granger (although his girl told him not to call her friend that anymore) beat him so easily in every class...she barely had to try and spells worked for her correctly on their second try at the most! It was an insult. He had to try harder, his father said. Or eliminate the competition. Make her feel bad about herself, too bad to study or do homework but he had tried that, after setting that hopeless girl onto her crush and all that had done was given her more time to do her homework! Without his friendship and distraction she only proceeded to get even better grades, so he had given up on that chase.

It was the second to last night before the holidays began, and tomorrow after class he would set off for home like most of the other students. She was curled up into his side, his arm wrapped around her bare waist protectively even though he wasn't able to fall asleep. How could he leave this all to go back to such hell? He wished there was some excuse, any – which would work on his father! But Quidditch hadn't worked and neither had 'figuring out what Potter was up to' either. With a sigh he turned and curled into his sweet, tucking the blanket around them both more snugly before he fell asleep finally, breathing softly into her hair.

"It's only for two weeks." She seemed to be trying to convince herself more than she was him. "We can keep in contact through the journals, don't you think?"  
"As long as he doesn't go through my luggage…" he kissed her one final time, and then pushed her on her way, waiting behind for a few minutes. They couldn't be seen together of course, he would be literally killed if his father found out…

Home now, in his usual place and the mutter of a curse sent his spine bucking in pain. He tried not to make a sound, tried not to cry out because that would only give the old man pleasure, but it only took a moment and then…

Lucius turned and left Draco screaming. Weak little fool, he would make a man out of him.


	39. Apple

The two sat in amusement, content as George's fingers stroked the palm of her hand over and over and they watched the crowd around them. They were at the next Quidditch World Cup with hopes that it wouldn't end up like the last World Cup and they were watching Fred struggle to sit still as Tararyn painted his face, George and Minya already done.  
The twins were going for Ireland who had made it there once again, whereas Minya and Tararyn were excitedly going for Australia, who had made the team once a few Aboriginal players had made it there. It was going to be an excellent match, Tara couldn't stop babbling how they were just fearless and the players on their team fell from their brooms the most from their dives and snatches for the balls and snitch.  
"Sit still!" Tara commanded, squeezing her boyfriends hand pointedly. She wasn't the best artist ever and now her four leaf clover looked a little like a puddle of green goo.  
"I don't sit still." Fred retorted, eyes still squeezed shut as the cold paint tickled his face.  
"Wanna go get something to eat?" George offered Minya as Tara slapped Fred's arm, making him tackle her down to the narrow floor between the rows of seats.  
"Oh god, yes please." Minya jumped up straight away and the two escaped thankfully, money clinking happily in their pocket. They'd all saved for months for this holiday and they planned to enjoy it, despite their friends and twins awkward love or not.  
"Either she's going to kill him or he'll run in fear when things get too serious." George mused aloud as they ducked through the crowds to find the shortest line to the best food and drink.  
"Lets hope its soon, whichever one they chose." Minya grinned. "How about here"  
"Now, see, first thing you have to learn about World Cups, is you're only allowed to eat the food coloured for your team. Which means you can have...custard...bananas...egg...and I can have...Apples. Perhaps cucumber"  
"And we're going to find all that here, are we?" Minya laughed, squeezing George's hand tighter as they continued to duck through the nagging crowd.  
He stopped suddenly and pointed to a stall ahead of them with their clasped hands.  
"Gotta love vegetarians." He grinned, making Minya laugh again that such a stall existed. One that sold fruit and vegetables at the World Cup of Quidditch?  
"We can get a sandwich made up." He explained. "Or at least a salad"  
"Or I could just have nachos. That's yellow and green enough for me if I get guacamole, right?" "If you wanted to be smart and not eat rabbit food, then sure." George nudged her, wondering why he hadn't thought of that. She remained with him though, and he bought them both an apple each, happy to continue on the tradition in the healthiest of ways.

True love was green apples. 


	40. Help

_Oh, it kills me inside. I can't bear to lay beside her, but she'd be hurt more if I didn't. I've woken to her crying before, she says she doesn't care what happens…she just wants to be with me, and sleeping beside me gives her the best fucking sleep she's ever had, and I can't understand that. She puts up with too much, I don't deserve her. She curls into my warmth and I gently touch her cheek, it's bruised and cut and yet she kissed me afterwards.  
How can she stay with me? I'm a broken man, and I'm just breaking her. don't want to.  
But I can't help it, I can't stop it. She involves herself, and then somehow she's in the way and she gets injured…not that I'm blaming her, oh no. I just can't think of the reason as to why I let myself hurt her again and again…_

_I've been out of work for almost half a year. Six months. The days pass and I only notice when she's crying. She still works. She comes home and she cleans up after me. Anything that I've broken or smashed. She cooks me dinner and then she takes me into her arms and just holds me. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? A glass of brandy In my hand and a lovely lass in my lap, curled up and inhaling my musty scent…  
And instead it's me sobbing into her jumper, and she's soothing me, kissing and petting my hair, and it's just…uncanny._

_How come I just want to die when I have her?_

He needs help, mentally. He's been gone since he started drinking daily after that one away game with Puddlemore United. He has a girlfriend, why she sticks around he'd never be able to understand, and when he kills himself and leaves a suicide note she'll finally find out why he went off the tracks.

_Because I shouldn't have her._

And when she finds out she'll kill herself too.  
Maybe if she had been stronger instead of consoling, she would have got him the help he needed instead of trying to take care of him herself, because that wasn't enough for what he needed, not really. He was way too far gone for her to be able to do anything anymore, she had failed.  
She should have done the right thing before it was too late for both of them really. But you couldn't exactly say it was all her fault and reason for both of their deaths.  
She hadn't been around when he had drunkenly raped that girl on the tour with Puddlemore. The young girl had spiked his drink anyway, and lured him into it, hoping to steal his wallet, but not expecting him to be that forceful. He had always been a bit hard to control when he had been drinking, or around Quidditch…

Oliver Wood needed help, but it was way too late now…


	41. Ersatz

She was replacement, that's all she was. A substitute in the mourning of a loss, because he needed to justify himself to exist by dating someone. That last comment of being gay with Ron from Malfoy had crossed the line, so he had swept her into his arms after that last Quidditch match and kissed her, she had bended into him and been his immediately, after all these years of waiting.  
It was just until someone better came alone. Although he had been glad to get rid of Cho, he had almost missed the feeling of...being taken, so to say. It made him feel wanted, he felt at home with responsibility under his belt, and she was a whole lot of it for him.

He was quite attracted to her though of course, and she was someone he could relate it. It made it a lot easier as well that she was the little sister of his best friend, because she already knew everything and their holidays would be able to be spent together. It was all quite convenient actually. So it was almost a pity that she was just a substitute, and a rather inferior one at that.  
Oh well, she would do for now.

All he was, secretly, was a cover up. A red herring. If she was seen with him, then they wouldn't suspect that she was with someone else now would they? Not that she exactly had another boyfriend, they were very strict on the terms that they were not dating. They were simple the property of each other, and him seeing his property pretend to be the girlfriend of another guy set his blood boiling.  
He hid it well, but she saw an inkling of it at times and it filled her with warmth nothing could compare to, because she was wanted by him, and that's all that mattered.

Pretending and acting to love another though was almost worth it, especially when she closed her eyes as she lay in his lap, him patting her hair, and was able to pretend it was another's hands instead. It made her feel wanted and craved, even though she really only cared about one of them. The other was just convenient, and it made her lover so cute as well when he got all huffy about it.  
Still, it was clear whom she really loved, and soon her lover would do his deed and she'd be able to be his publicly, and their whole world would come crashing down on themselves, and she would laugh…

Harry was with Ginny as if to prove something or to validate himself, whereas she was only with him to hide her real relationship with Malfoy. All they were, as such, were a substitute for what they really needed and really craved.  
Teenage years were such a mess, but this deal had worked out quite nicely. Almost too nicely…would it last? 


	42. Toast

After all these years she finally understood what it meant to feel like him. She felt bad for teasing him so many times as well, if she had only known what it was like...She could never have imagined the stress which came with it, and how you suddenly watched every finger catching the ball, searching for the miniscule good and bad points, or how you wanted to scream when one of them nearly fell from their brooms when they weren't paying enough attention. It was enough to drive you crazy, and after a training match or a real game you head was just so full of where they went wrong and what they could improve on, it was enough to make it throb! No wonder Oliver had tried to drown himself so many times. 

Most of it though was how she now saw that the team wasn't trying their hardest all the time. A few hours every so often wasn't too much to ask was it? She couldn't remember anymore what it was like to be on the other end, receiving critism from the captain of the team. Now that she was captain she saw how lazy they all were, how they didn't listen to her encouragement or the plays she set out for them...Poor Oliver...Now she understood it all too well.  
She'd beat it all into them, Oliver hadn't seen the Cup in his time there, but she'd win it for Gryffindor and send him photos. Not to spite him, no, just to show him that they could do it, that the team was good, sme of the best, just like how he'd always thought...

Angelina prepared a stack of toast which would serve as her breakfast and then made her way down to the change rooms, and more specifically, the captains office. It was more like a broom closet, but it was where Oliver had left his diary of thoughts and plays, and it was big enough to read the book so that was good enough for her. She curled up on the desk which was built into the wall and leaned against the wall, her Quidditch robes hung on the hanger on the back of the door. The light was dim and dusty, coming from the small window at the top but it set the mood perfectly and made her feel like a pioneer of Quidditch. They would win this game, she knew it.

As long as Harry could keep his mind on the game.  
As long as the twins didn't mess about, or get into a fight.  
As long as the others could damn well catch the ball and score goals with it!

_"So, this is the life of a captain...oh Oliver, how did you ever put up with us?"_ Angelina sighed to herself then turned back to the start of the chapter she was concentrating on, biting into another piece of toast. Ahh, toast, the food of Quidditch Kings and Queens.


	43. Different

It was late but they were still awake, having a cup of tea along with some surprisingly normal biscuits as they chatted comfortably, her head sleepily resting on his shoulder while he toyed with her hair. His brother was no where to be seen, particularly because George was over at Minya's (and Tara's) having a movie night with her, while Tara was at the twins flat. Things had worked out well.

"You're kinda different from all the other guys, aren't you?" she asked sleepily, shifting around until she was lying down on the sofa instead, resting half in his lap and half against the armrest, gazing up at him, content.  
"Well, I like to think so. What do you mean though?" Fred asked with a smile, resting his now empty tea cup on the side table.  
"You're...I unno how to say it." the way her cheeks blushed a little, something she did often, made Fred wonder what was on her mind.  
"Just say it." he encouraged, stretching back until his back clicked, and then he moved to lay down beside her on the sofa, kissing her forehead gently after he was comfortable.  
"You're not...pushy..." she began to say, trailing out her words slowly as she stared at their hands, twined with each other. "...Sexually. Like...most guys push and demand sex as soon as they can. ...And you haven't"  
"Well..." Fred rested his head on her shoulder, nuzzling his face against the curve of her neck, making her giggle. "I figure when you're ready, and you want it, you'll come to me demanding it." he smiled against her skin. "You kissed me first so I figure you're in charge." "See, you're precious." she pausing as she squeezed his hand gently. "How many times have you...you know"  
"...Mmm. Never"  
"...Seriously"  
"Yeah." Fred's voice was slightly low, a far mix of emotions that would be behind any 22 year old males voice saying such a thing.  
"I haven't either, jeez, relax"  
"...you haven't? How come"  
She shrugged, closing her eyes as well. "Australian guys just aren't my flavour"  
He suddenly pulled her close into a tight hug, smiling against her throat as she wrapped her arms around him just as tight, and then nearly fell off the sofa, making them both laugh.  
"We're a strange pair." Fred tapped her nose gently with his thumb before he kissed her gently. "Are you tired"  
She raised an eyebrow at him, making him blush and shake his head.  
"I mean, not like that...just because I know George isn't coming back tonight..." Tara's eyes widdened at that, making Fred chuckle. He'd felt the same way. "And because...you know...we could just...share my bed, nothing else. Just...sleep together"  
"Calm down." she giggled, tending to his ruffled hair before he stood up.  
"You make me feel so dirty." he pouted, then winked at her.  
"We're so odd." Tara sighed happily, and took his offered hand.

They were both different from the norm, and thats what melded them together so well. 


	44. Favourite Things

There were a few things that kept her happy and content, she only needed a few. She was born with hope in her eyes, her father had always said, so it didn't take much to keep her with a smile on her face.

Children made her happy. Although the day she was married was one of the happiest in her life, the day she had her first child was almost better in some ways because it was the final proof that they had created a whole new life together. He was tiny and beautiful and perfect, his little chest rose and fell with each breath and his eyes opened and moved. It had been such a wonder to see such a little guy come from their love, and then grow up to be a human being and then an adult, just like them. Her children were amazing, her special miracle, they kept her very happy, they were right up there, close to being number one of her favourite things. Most days they were, when they weren't causing trouble...

Cooking kept her content. She was all in favour of creating things, that's why she took it harder than most when someone or something died. She hated the thought of something going, never to live again, so she made sure she did more than her fair share of creating. She baked day in and day out, their family was never one to go out to a restaurant or a cafe for a bite to eat, (they couldn't afford to eat out anyway really) and the more people which she had to cook for only made her happier. She was like a mother hen really; she loved to look after everyone.

Music was something else she really loved, although not everyone exactly shared her chose of artist. While she knitted she listened to it though, free to listen and do what she liked since she did so much for everyone else all throughout the day otherwise.  
She liked to be in control, she had to know everything.  
She also liked to be right.

Walking out before dawn to collect the eggs from the hens.  
Being able to buy a new robe or owl for the family and seeing their happy faces.  
How well her sons were doing, how they had been given every chance and reason to fail in their lives, and yet they were all being successful.  
Having a loan of a book, and then a nice relaxing day in which to read it in.  
Hearing from her children when they were away from school, or going to pick them up after their months of being away from home.  
A nice cup of tea when her husband came home from work.

Having a full house of happy relatives, when everyone got along.  
Getting new members to the family...having those new members finally fit in and also feel finally welcome.

Being called Molly Wobbles.

These were a few of Mrs Weasley's favourite things. 


	45. Liquorice

He was positively crushed when he found out, and had the most mournful look on his face for the rest of the night.  
"I'm sorry," she apologised. "I really am! But I just...don't"  
"It's okay..." he sighed, peering at her over the top of his book. "I'll learn how to cope somehow..." he sighed.  
"It's not the end of the world." she protested. "It's not like you're dying because of it or anything"  
"I could do..." he mused, leaning back in his armchair with a thoughtful sigh. "I could very well die from it. For you see, this'll turn into a fight and then we won't speak for a week, and then thing'll be weird and awkward and never the same again so we'll eventually part our ways and without you I'd simply die"  
She stood over him for a moment, a tea towel in her hand stained from her disasters in the kitchen and glared down on him for a long while until he couldn't hold a straight face anymore.  
"You're terrible!" she jumped into his lap and ruffled his hair roughly before kissing him hard.  
"Only because I care about you so much." he looked at her seriously. "You bring out the worse in me"  
"So that explains the scratch marks on my back." she murmured close to his ear, making him blush and freeze up.  
She kissed his cheek gently and then returned to the kitchen, struggling to cook spaghetti and meatballs for their dinner. Remus wasn't allowed in the kitchen while she cooked, just as how she wasn't allowed to read over his shoulder.  
"It's not as bad as you think, you know." he called through, returning to his book.  
"I've tried it, I hate it." her answer was short and sweet.  
"Why did I fall for you again?" he smiled as he turned the page. Living with Tonks, it was a must that you could read and hold a conversation at the same time.  
"I don't know, _why_ did you?" Tonk's voice was clean cut as she returned to the living room and stood over him once again.  
He looked up at her simply, a lovesick look in his eyes. Slowly, he held up the bag again, and smiled at her.  
"Ohh, fine then..." Tonks murmured and took a short string of liquorice from the bag, shoving it in her mouth before she had any second thoughts.  
"It's foul." she mumbled around it, letting Remus' hands guide her back to sit in his lap. "See how much I love you?" she grumbled, swallowing the bad taste as soon as she could, making Remus smile and kiss her.  
"You taste lovely to me though." he rested his forehead against hers, making her smile in return.  
"Don't I always though"  
"Liquorice wins here sorry dear"  
She hit him and he petted her hair gently, smiling at her in such a way which could turn her hair pinker just so easily. 


	46. Pot Kettle Black

"I hate you"  
"Oh, ouch"  
"You think you're so good"  
"Which I am"  
"You think anyone else is filth when really it's just you"  
They glared at each other for a long moment, not blinking or breaking their gaze. Everyone around them gave a few weird looks but mainly walked on, used to it. It was a bit interesting though, a fight was always something of excitment in Hogwarts hallways especially since it didn't happen all that often.  
"You make me sick. You're weak without your little gang"  
"And you're not"  
"Actually, I'm not. I can stand on my own without them, and I've done things you never could without anyone else. They stick by me though, I don't cling to them or scare them into sticking by me. They're my friends, which is a title you'd never really understand"  
"Are you done yet"  
"No, I'm not. You're disgusting. If we were in the real world without your family to protect and look after you, you'd hit the bottom in a second. You're worthless, you're only the puppet of everyone else and you suck up to anyone and everyone just to get what you want. Don't you feel sick of yourself at the end of the day? How can you live with yourself"  
"The question should be, how can you live with yourself? You brush everyone else away saying you don't want to 'drag them down', but really it's because you can't be bothered with them and you feel they're below you as well. You're a fine lie to be sprouting this all at me, but really when you think about it, you do it all the same as well. Just like most people in this world"  
"I do not"  
"Hit a nerve, have I"  
"You're so stupid you don't even know what you're talking about"  
"Reverting to insults already, I appear to have hurt you. You can't even see what's really going on, or the true you like I can, and that thought has got to kill you as soon as you finally realise that it's true"  
He picked up his book bag and brushed past him, leaving the raven haired male red faced with anger. How dare he just walk away, as cool as a cuccumber about it all?  
A red head, his cheeks even reder than her hair, walked up to him with her arms folded accross her chest"  
"Can you believe him?" he erupted, turning to the stone wall and hitting it.  
She glared at him for a long moment until he finally looked at her.  
"What's the matter with you?" he snapped.  
"Jeez, pot kettle black"  
"...What"  
"Pot kettle black. ...As in, the pot calling the kettle black"  
He still looked at her blankly, making her sighed.  
"What I mean, Harry," Ginny looked annoyed. "Is that you call Draco all these things, but when it comes down to it, you're not much better yourself. Everything you call Draco? Is you." 


	47. Concubine

They were all his. All of them, and they knew it. They had come to him willingly, which had truthfully been almost boring. He liked a bit of fear in them while he toyed with them. When he touched their hair, he wanted them to wonder whether he was going to steal their thoughts with his fingers at their temples, that flick of their eyes towards him as if to check exactly how close he was to them.

He wanted their fear. Fear meant more power to him, not that he needed anymore exactly, he simply craved it. Those who enjoyed themselves too much were sent straight away again, they weren't wanted by him. He hated their moans of ecstasy as he moved within them, they were supposed to hate it as much as he did! He wasn't something to enjoy, he was only something to be feared, and those who couldn't understand that were too stupid to live.

He killed quite a few of them, some of them even felt blessed to be killed at the end of his wand so they could escape this world and hopefully come back sometime soon when it would be purged of all those who were unworthy. They dreamt of a world where only purebloods lived and they prophesied that he would take them there.

They were all his. All of them, and they knew it. They had come to him willingly, which had truthfully been almost boring. He liked a bit of fear in them while he toyed with them. When he touched their hair, he wanted them to wonder whether he was going to steal their thoughts with his fingers at their temples, that flick of their eyes towards him as if to check exactly how close he was to them. He wanted their fear. Fear meant more power to him, not that he needed anymore exactly, he simply craved it. Those who enjoyed themselves too much were sent straight away again, they weren't wanted by him. He hated their moans of ecstasy as he moved within them, they were supposed to hate it as much as he did! He wasn't something to enjoy, he was only something to be feared, and those who couldn't understand that were too stupid to live.

Human life was so fickle. It was all anyone had, once chance and then that was it. It was something of a miracle and yet so many of them were a waste, or they wasted their lives. He wouldn't, he would make his life one worth decades of living, to make up for all those who were un-worthwhile. He would live his own life as well as their share.  
He killed quite a few of them, some of them even felt blessed to be killed at the end of his wand so they could escape this world and hopefully come back sometime soon when it would be purged of all those who were unworthy. They dreamt of a world where only purebloods lived and they prophesied that he would take them there.

Fools.

He lived there for the most part of the month with his whores, all to do his bidding even though they were under no spell. After the third death of the month they usually worked in fear, just how he liked it. He lived off their fear, he drank it in and his love for their fear only made them fear him even more.

It was a concubine of sorts, illegal by Muggle standards, and meant that there were sexual doings with more than one woman whilst not being married to her. How was this illegal, exactly? Wasn't that basically when your mistress was the maid of the house? Or when you house shared and that was your 'friend with benefits'? It happened all the time, all around them and the fools labelled it as being illegal? If they actually ever did anything about it, wouldn't half the population have to go to jail?  
Muggle laws were pure idiocy. Soon though, they wouldn't exist, would they? That was part of the filth he was set to rid from their one world.

Eugh, enough useless thinking for one day. Tom Riddle rose to his feet, flicking his robe to hang neatly down his thin body. The idiot whores awaited. 


	48. Seven

It was sometime past midnight and raining outside, hard against the roof and glass windows which made it slightly chilly out. It had been a nice dinner and then a nice evening watching a movie together on the sofa and then things had been nice afterwards as well. Everything was just...nice.  
"Seven months"  
Tararyn closed her eyes and yawned softly, nuzzling into Fred's side as she rested her head on his shoulder, her hand curled up under his jawbone, trailing through the hair at the back of his neck slowly.  
"Took so long..." she murmured in reply.  
"It was enjoyable along the way though right?" Fred asked sleepily, his hand trailing up and down her bare back as he savoured the feeling of fulfilling contentment.  
"The best seven months of my life." she assured him as she cuddled closer, smiling as he kissed her forehead.  
"Not just saying that so I don't turn you blind again?" he joked, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of her fingers winding through his hair.  
"That was kinda fun." she shrugged and pressed closer to him. "Only because I knew it was only for a while though"  
"It lasted two weeks." he replied dryly. "Weren't you ever worried after a while that it might never come back"  
She was silent for a moment before she kissed his shoulder. "You stayed by my side for it all, so I wasn't scared. ...I knew if it become apparent that my sight wasn't coming back then you and your brother would have jumped straight into figuring out a cure"  
Fred paused at this and then wrapped his other arm around her protectively. "...I started researching." he murmured. "The next day when I found out it hadn't come back still overnight." he touched her hair softly and then kissed her lips. "I was worried that I had hurt you"  
"I was fine," she blushed slightly at his obvious care.  
"...You weren't exactly." he disagreed gently. "Your eyes were sightless and they're usually bright and, well, not to use such an overused word, but, they sparkle. And during that time you just looked blind...your eyes looked scared, and you never quite looked at who or what you meant to..." he kissed her tenderly once again, curling around her as she muled this over.  
"...Maybe I was scared, but only because I might never see...things again. Say if Minya and George had a baby together," they both chuckled at the thought. "Then I may never see that..." she held his hand up to her lips and kissed it gently before yawning sleepily again. "That's the only thing I was scared about really...I know a lot of people, most people, would deal with being blind a lot worse than I would...I had you, that's enough for me"  
They mused silently for a long moment, before Fred hugged her close. "...Seven months hey"  
"To the day." she agreed, and with one last kiss, they fell asleep in each others arms. 


	49. Black, white and red

Design was a major part of creating something that would sell. The look of the package was what would make people pick it up after all so it was the first thing you designed, after of course designing the thing inside it.  
"Straight lines, or the soft zigzag kind?" George asked her as he and Minya sat at her kitchen table, planning a new bundle of sweets. The final test was going through on them while they designed them, since as soon as their packaging was decided, they would be sent away to be made. Taralyn was in the corner almost unable to breath through the laughing fit one of them had triggered, while Fred's right arm was currently dead. It wasn't looking good on their side of things, which thankfully gave Minya and George more time to finish their end of the deal.  
"Well, with the paper all wrinkled around the lolly the lines wouldn't be straight even if we printed them to be, would they? So how about...I don't know, would the zigzag lines just look messy when they're wrapped up?" Minya asked, picking up one of the lollies in question to study it.  
George flicked his wand, trying out the suggested styles on the lollies in front of them and then nearly dropped his wand as his brother literally shrieked.  
"She bit me!" he exclaimed as his twin and Minya shot him a stunned look, pointing at Tara with the once dead hand.  
"At least your hand is okay?" Minya cracked a grin as Tara was still practically rolling on the floor laughing.  
"Hey...so it is." Fred realised, looking at his hand carefully, now back to being as good as new. "Guess that's the cure then? Shot of activity to the nerves"  
"What cures her? The noise is driving me crazy." George threw one of the lollies at Tara who gasped out a 'sorry!' mid laugh.  
"No idea." Fred mused. "They chuck water over them in the movies, don't they"  
"You're only suggesting that because she's wearing white." Minya rolled her eyes, grinning, and caught the lolly Tara threw back her way.  
"I think the wriggly lines would be best." she decided for them both, and with a wave of his wand George set all of them to look that way so they could get the full effect.  
"Now, colours?" he ticked off next on the list.  
"Not pink. Not bloody green." Minya replied immediately.  
"Not blue or yellow. How about red for Gryffindor?" George grinned.  
"White for the best colour robes!" Fred snickered, Tara hitting him sharply. She was now silent again once more, Fred looking pleased with himself and Minya and George were determinedly not asking.  
"Black so we get all the emo kids in." Minya joked, squeezing George's hand as he found hers, and then pulled her close for a kiss.  
"Red for love." He murmured.  
"Black, white and red." She agreed, a happy grin on her lips. "Sounds prefect." 


	50. Snorking

It had been a fairly slow day of classes…which hadn't exactly been a bad thing, it had been almost relaxing. It had just been a fairly long day and they were all relieved to relax in front of the fire...until Hermione had dropped a stack of parchment in front of them and 'encouraged' them to start the homework they had received that day that very minute.  
"Aww, c'mon Hermione..." Ron threw his quill back down on the parchment.  
"If you get it out of the way now, you'll have all day to muck around tomorrow outside." Hermione already had five inches and she was going strong, her quill flying across the page as she spoke. "C'mon Ron, it's only a 30 inch essay! Just do it"  
Grumbling, Ron dipped his quill in the ink and then looked over Harry's shoulder at what he was writing.

An hour and a half later Ron finally threw down his quill with a content sigh. It hadn't taken as long as he had dreaded and truthfully he was glad he had finished it early and it was now out of the way. Hermione took both his and Harry's, offering to proof read them for them like she usually did while Ron ran up to his dorm to get the Wizards Chess set he had, Harry offering him a game an hour ago just to get Ron to shut up and stop distracting them. Soon they were well into the game with a few around them, it was still fairly early in the night.  
As Hermione looked over Ron's homework to double check it, she came along a word, which she didn't exactly know the meaning of. Which meant it was made-up and couldn't possibly exist.  
"Ron, what is this word supposed to be?" She shoved the parchment back under his nose and pointed to the word with the end of her quill.  
He looked at it for a moment before he turned back to his game against Harry. "Snorking"  
"And what's that supposed to mean exactly?" Hermione waved her wand in the direction of the game, freezing all play. "It's not a real word Ron"  
"Yeah it is." He waved his wand in retaliation, but nothing happened. "Hermione"  
"It is no Ron. What does it mean then?" she held her own wand out of grasp as he tried to restart the game again.  
"It means…you know!" he looked annoyed at her lack of understanding. "Harry, tell her what it means"  
"I've never heard it before." Harry answered honestly, making Hermione beam.  
"I'll change it." Hermione waved her wand again over the game and turned back to her table.  
"No you won't!" Ron protested. "Leave it in! It's the exact word I want to use"  
"But it's made-up! What does it mean?" Hermione sighed, shoving the parchment back at him before he ripped it. "It doesn't need a meaning, that's what is so great about it!" Ron replied stubbornly. "Snorking is simply snorking! That's it!" 


	51. Authors Note

This is written for the **Rambles and Snippets** challenge for _April/May _on **FictionNET**

Under these guidelines: _We have given you 50 words, statements, whichever. To each, you shall write a ramble, being over 100 words, and under 500 words. _

_You may write in any fandom you wish, or not even a fandom. But you must write every entry in fandom or non fandom, sticking to you choice. Please use only one word in each entry, and post each entry in it's own chapter, so in the end you should have 51 chapters wherever you may post this. How fun._

This challenge will start on the 1st of April, and end on the 17th of May.

The words are as follows:

**1.** Sublime.

**2.** Fantasy.

**3.** Juxtapose.

**4.** Carpe Diem.

**5.** Carpe Noctum.

**6.** Laughter.

**7.** Not Human.

**8.** Passion.

**9.** Hurt.

**10.** Morbid.

**11.** Bad Hair Day.

**12.** Many Other Gifts.

**13.** Tied Up.

**14.** Dancing.

**15.** Flexible.

**16.** Grey.

**17.** Smoking.

**18.** Flashback/s.

**19.** Ice cubes.

**20.** Holiday.

**21.** Frosted.

**22.** Blind.

**23.** The Essentials.

**24.** Mixed languages.

**25. **Not like home at all.

**26.** Just add tictacs.

**27.** Simple ribbon.

**28.** Sorting.

**29.** Red rose.

**30.** Lightning.

**31.** Rainy Day

**32.** Ambiguity.

**33.** Balancing Act.

**34.** Obsession.

**35.** Chance.

**36.** Lady Luck.

**37.** Music of the Night.

**38.** Screaming.

**39.** Apple.

**40.** Help.

**41.** Ersatz.

**42.** Toast.

**43.** Different.

**44.** Favourite things.

**45.** Liquorice.

**46.** Pot kettle black.

**47.** Concubine.

**48.** Seven.

**49.** Black, white and red.

**50.** Snorking.

Each shall follow now in a chapter to themselves, and all shall be posted before the 17th, I hope you enjoy.

If you're looking for where I got this challenge, and also a nifty (mostly based on Harry Potter) writing forum, join Fnet and say that **Keladryie** sent you. It's seriously worth it.

**FictionNET** ( _http / sycotic . org / fnet_ )


End file.
